


complications of the heart

by alicemitch09



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst, Bit of Fluff, F/M, Flashbacks, High School Drama, Implied Sexual Content, Insecurities, Lime, Love/Hate, Nothing too explicit, OFC is Kageyama's older cousin, OFC is a photographer, OFC is also Kageyama's big sister-figure, Post-Break Up, family matters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2018-02-04
Packaged: 2018-10-24 14:48:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 95,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10743882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alicemitch09/pseuds/alicemitch09
Summary: 'Oikawa had a girlfriend who broke up with him because he was too obsessed with volleyball." If only they knew.There's always more to the story.





	1. prologue

**[prologue]**

“Arisa-nee-san!” a voice called, causing the said girl to turn. A smile plasters on her face at the sight of a raven-haired boy walking her way.

Lowering her camera, she greeted the younger boy. “Oh, Tobi!” she called, using his nickname.

He flushes, maintaining his ever awkward-yet-stoic-looking-expression.

Tobio Kageyama was her cousin, two years younger than her. She was rather fond of the raven-haired boy, probably because he was closest to her age, the rest of her cousins (especially from her father’s side) were a lot older. Also, it’s no secret that she cared a great deal to him and him to her – being an only child, she was the closest thing to a sister he’s ever had.

Tobi, as she fondly called him, was a rather awkward child. He had a hard time communicating with people, making socializing a problem for him. Thankfully, his older cousin was there for him.

“So how’d it go?” the equally raven-haired teen asked, leading the two to sit on a nearby bench. Their surroundings were abuzz, as it was lunchtime.

“Um…I got in.”

“Yay!” she squealed, pulling him into a hug. “They’d be stupid not to!”

The young boy’s face reddened at the affection – face scrunching to a weird expression that almost resembled joy – not that he was complaining. “But I’ve only started since second grade-“

“Shush! Don’t ruin the moment!” giggling, she pulled away, ran towards the vending machine and dropped a few coins. Hearing the familiar drop, she quickly picks the drinks and runs back to her waiting cousin, practically shoving the yogurt milk in front of him. “This calls for a celebration!”

Pride swells her chest as Tobio takes the carton in his hands. Unable to control herself, she ruffles his raven locks, she was just so proud of him! “Do your best, okay?”

At that, he flushes, eyes sparkling, before nodding. “I will do my very best!”

His enthusiasm made her laugh.

Since when did he become this awkward?

**…**

Despite her hectic school life, she always made sure to check on her dear cousin. And ever since Tobio joined the volleyball club, he seemed _different._ Somehow. Arisa couldn’t put her finger where, but it was there.

Although aloof and painfully blunt, he still had a hard time making friends. It worried her so, even at his new club! Painfully honest as he was, he was never aware of the extent of his words. Someone had to point it out to him.

She still ate lunch with him and they still walked home together, and at times, she’d pay him a visit to the gymnasium to watch him practice every once in a while. Arisa knew that her cousin was an amazing player – a genius in the making. She could tell that the future was looking bright for him, yet she couldn’t help but worry about him.

“Tobi, look here!” she called out, camera in hand.

The said boy turns, surprised to find his cousin inside the gymnasium. Usually, she’d wait for him outside, taking random photos outside, until his practice ended.

“Arisa-nee-san, you shouldn’t be here!” he scolds, cheeks tinted. Some of his teammates stopped and stared at the girl – who was almost identical to Kageyama in terms of appearance (the dark hair and eye shape ran in the family), save for the fact that she was a girl and had gray-blue eyes – he was talking to.

“Why not?” She pouts, a hand on her hip.

“Because- “before he could finish, a stray ball was flying her way.

Before anyone could call out to her, she reacted on instinct; turning her body, she received the ball with ease, camera carefully slung behind her. The ball bounces back to a certain brown-haired boy.

Sighing, she fixes her camera, directing her attention back to her cousin when Tobio calls, “Ah, Oikawa-san!”

_Oikawa?_

Following his gaze, she found the same brown-haired boy – with a floppy hairstyle, watching her.

And that’s when she met Oikawa Tooru.

**…**

One thing was certain; Oikawa Tooru was the strangest boy she’s ever met. She just met him – even though they’ve been classmates for years (according to him) – and already, he was making her uncomfortable. Did she mention that she was classmates with him?

The only thing she knew about him was that he was in the volleyball team together with Tobi; they even play the same position, he was in an honor’s class like her, he was friends with Iwaizumi Hajime, and that he was annoying as he is famous.

Ever since she waltzed in the gym, wanting to see how her dear cousin was doing, he had been very interested in her. It didn’t help that he sat behind her in class, leaving him to ask pesky questions of ‘do you play volleyball’, ‘what position do you play’ and the like. One time, because he had pestered her so much, she yelled at him in the middle of class earning her detention. Needless to say, her impression of him wasn’t very good. But he was sure persistent.

He was handsome – she’ll give him that – but he had a strange fascination with space (‘Do you believe in aliens?’). Also, he liked to be around her.

For some reason, his presence was something that didn’t faze her at all. And strangely enough, she liked him being around, except for the fuzzy feelings he brings with him every time they were together.

Arisa would never imagine that Kitagawa Daiichi’s star setter would be so childish and clingy. Every lunch break, he’d come to her table unannounced and practically eat all her food. He was always around her, wherever she went, never failing to pester her or compliment how she looked today.

One day, she asked him: “Is there a reason you’re always hanging around me?” She was waiting for Tobio to finish changing so they two would walk home together, leaving she and the setter at the gym. Thankfully, it was after class that she free from Oikawa, who lived on the other side of the district.

“Because we’re friends!” he’d tell her.

“But you have Iwaizumi-kun.” She told him rather bluntly, back against the wall as she admired the silhouettes on the ceiling.

“Ah, but Iwa-chan’s my best friend.”

“Exactly.” She points out, frowning at him.

“That’s true. Hmm, well…” he pondered, hands on his chin, eyeing her carefully. His eyes dropped to her camera, which she’s been fiddling for the last minute, then took a step forward. Without a word, he takes it in his hands and snaps a photo of her. “Hey!”

“You’re so pretty, Yoshizawa-chan~” he says with a laugh, especially when she tried to snatch her camera back but failed because of their height difference, snapping more photos of her.

And there it was – that strange feeling in her belly. He says it so easy, she hated it. No way was she going to fall for his charms.

She was sure that she was blushing now as she snatched her camera from him.

“Stop playing with me.” She grumbled, lowering her head to stare at her shoes.

“I’m not playing with you,” Oikawa smiles, taking another towards her. His smile was not the usual smiles he gives to others, especially his fans, rather, this was a genuine smile. One that was always so rare to find. He was right in front of her. She looks up into his brown eyes, gulping at the intensity of his gaze, even though her throat was dry. “I like you, _Arisa_.”

**…**

Before she knew it, Oikawa Toru became her boyfriend. And boy, were her parents happy. Never mind that they were young, so long as their only daughter has a boyfriend. (Yes, her parents were weird like that)

Toru was strange – childish at times, ridiculous always, _very_ vain, and always with his weird fascination with aliens and the universe (although, that was something they both shared).

Nevertheless, he was the sweetest most thoughtful boyfriend ever.

Arisa loved how passionate he was about volleyball, how smart and snarky he was, his little quirks, adored how he and her cousin got along. In addition, it was amazing how Tobio agreed to all this, but how awkward it was at the same time. (‘ _But where Arisa-nee-san is happy, I’m okay with it’_ he said) Although, Toru was such a brat when it came to Tobio.

She knew almost everything about him, but she had a hard time opening up to him. But Toru was patient, never forcing her and understood that she was closed off.

Eventually, after their loss to Shiratorizawa, when she saw how distraught he was over their loss, she opened up to him.

“I had a younger brother,” she says quietly, sitting across him as she took his hand in hers. He was so lost in thoughts that she wasn’t sure if he was listening, but the way his hand wrapped around hers said otherwise, so she continued. “his name was Takeru.” An image of her younger brother popped in her head. “My earliest memory was him, in my mother’s arms. I thought he was the tiniest thing.” She laughed at the memory. “Of course, that was until Tobi was born. Because my mother and his father were siblings, and because we didn’t really have a house then, they welcomed us into their home.” Her voice was thick with emotion, recalling her childhood; Toru couldn’t help but watch from the corner of his eye, hanging onto every word. “Since then, I took it upon myself to look after them. And I enjoyed being the big sister. Those two were such rascals, Takeru most especially. Tobi was such a quiet boy – curious, yes so terribly quiet, and aloof. And surprisingly, he seemed older than his age. We were inseparable.” At this, her voice began to choke up a bit, but she continued. “Takeru had leukemia.”

Toru looked up; her gaze was on their hands. “It broke me when mom and dad told me that, he was so young. And Tobi…” she swallowed, unable to finish. “Takeru died two years ago. And I could remember, as they threw dirt on his coffin, how Tobi held my hand as I cried.” Breaking into fits of laughter, she wiped her face with her free hand. “Sorry, I’m supposed to cheer you up but here I am- “

“No, it’s okay.” He says, pulling her to him, engulfing her in his embrace. “This is okay, Arisa.”

She buried her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around his torso. “I’m a terrible girlfriend.”

“No, you’re not.”

Arisa breathed in Toru’s scent, relishing in the comfort of his arms. Lifting her head, she met his gaze. “But you played great, Toru.”

He laughed, _really_ laughed; it was music to her ears. “I was, wasn’t I?”

And suddenly, he was alright.

**…**

A few days after that, she opened up to him again.

“My parents are avid sports fans.” She shares over a plateful of cookies she made during home economics. “When I was younger, they’d grab every chance to enroll me in different sports – basketball, soccer, volleyball, swimming, even triathlon!”

“Heh, so that explains it!” At that, Toru laughed, she laughed along with him. “Well, your mom’s a nurse, so she probably wants you fit. And your dad used to be an athlete.” She groans though it was true.

“So, what was your favorite sport?” There was something in his tone, making the question seemed to have an obvious answer. But she wasn’t going to fall for it.

She hummed, feigning that she was in thought, busy with her camera. “I don’t have a particular favorite…”

“Eh? That’s too bad.” He pouted, munching on another cookie. “But you should at least like volleyball, right? Since you, your cousin, and handsome boyfriend are into it!”

Scoffing, she pokes his cheek.

“Of course, you’d think that,” she shrugs. “I’m not a sports freak like you or Tobi, even though I’m blessed with athletic prowess.” Toru rolled his eyes at that, especially with the way she easily said it with no qualms whatsoever.

“I’m teasing!” she laughed, taking a photo of her boyfriend’s childish expression.

Young as she was, she never thought that having a boyfriend would be this blissful; to be this amazing, incredibly cheesy, yet could make her unexplainably happy just being around their significant other. She could see it in her parents, how disgustingly in love they were. But it was nice. What they had was amazing, nothing anyone in the world could take from them. It was theirs.

What they had didn’t feel like infatuation at all, but she didn’t want to think about it too much. She was young, and something like love would sound like child’s play.

For now, she would settle for Toru’s clinginess, his hands in hers, the occasional pecks. They were young; they had all the time in the world so long as they were together.

It was something to look forward to every day.

**…**

Arisa should’ve realized the old saying, ‘not everything lasts forever’. Because, just a week after the finals, they somehow made it to a point where their relationship was in shambles. Here they were screaming at each other’s faces, of how Tooru despised Tobio.

The truth that he despised her cousin was like a train wreck – unexpected, uncalled for, and painful. Never had she imagined that he’d come to this, out of jealousy.

Arisa had been there when he was about to backhand Tobio, he hadn’t noticed her presence at the time, thankful that Hajime stepped in. After that, she had avoided Toru for a while. She couldn’t get the scene out of her head, of how the sweet, childish, and adorkable Toru would go mad. She almost didn’t know him! Apparently, this was a side of Toru she never knew – maybe she already did, but just refused to see it.

When she confronted him, he tried to hide it. It was then that she saw his carefully hidden cracks crumbling.

Arisa tried to goad him to talk, sincerely at first. He played it off, switching to another subject. She didn’t follow, pushing him even more. He snapped, just as she mentioned his plays.

And then, here they were at each other’s throats – throwing heated words after another.

“The only reason you’re fond of Tobio is because you see Takeru in him!” he yelled, triggering something inside her. “Just accept the fact that he’s _not_ Takeru! Tobio is not Takeru! He’s not your brother! He’s dead!”

Brought by rage, she slapped him across the face, tears spilling.

She knew that her brother was long dead, she knew that. Tobio was her cousin, but she was like a brother to her. And despite what people say, he was still Tobio!

Toru held his bruised cheek, turning to her in shock.

“You have no right to say that…” she seethed, body shaking violently. “You have no fucking right, _Oikawa_.”

His eyes widened at that, taking a step towards her. “A-Arisa- “

“SHUT UP!”

Angry blue-grey orbs met his chocolate ones; her vision was a blur, hot angry tears spilling down her face.

“We’re done.”

The moment she turned her back on him, her heart broke into a million pieces. It shouldn’t end this way, yet she hated how everything’s reduced to a sick competition of the bests – of him letting his insecurities win over him and them. But family came first, Tobio came first.

**…**

Over the course of middle school, Tobio had changed significantly. He was sterner, stoic, but still that awkward little bean of hers. She hated how people were quick to judge, but never made a point to reach out to him.

After watching that one match – with that interesting orange-haired boy, she wished the best for Tobio. The matches after that were heartbreaking, especially for Tobio. He was benched, and it absolutely crushed him. No amount of words of encouragement from his dear cousin could help him.

Against her will, she was to separate from Tobio.

Her paternal grandfather’s health was getting worse; someone had to look after him. And her father, being the eldest took it upon himself to do just that.

According to her aunt, Tobio got accepted at Karasuno, Arisa laughed at that remembering that he originally planned for Shiratorizawa but couldn’t pass the entrance exam. The former was his other resort; she remembered the enthusiastic look on his face when he shared stories of Coach Ukai.

Regardless of where he’d go, she wished the best for him.

Though he was blessed with athletic prowess, what he needed, more than anything in the world was a friend.

****

**_…_ **

****

_Aoba Johsai Private School._

A sigh escaped her mouth, hating to start all over again. She missed her friends in her old school, her old town, and Tobio, most especially. _Who was going to look after him now?_

Warm spring wind gushed, whipping strands of her dark hair to her face; she tucked them behind her ear, making her way through the crowd to the post to find her name and class.

There was a clamor of cries behind her; urging freshmen to join their club, old friends greeting, excited chatters, and then there was her.

Arisa was close to the board when she spotted a familiar figure; a smile grew on her face. “Hajime!”

The dark-skinned teen turned, familiarization in his eyes when he saw her. “Oh? Yoshizawa!”

“Hey!” relief washed over her. Though their talks had lessened over the last months of middle school, they remained good friends.

“What brings you here?” he asked rather bluntly.

Jokingly, she punched his arm (a bit too hard, but she didn’t hear his pained ‘ouch’). “What’s that supposed to mean?” then laughed.

He grumbles under his breath, rubbing his arm. “You and Kageyama are inseparable; I’d thought you were going to stay in Torono.”

“Well, someone needs to look after my stubborn grandpa. Plus, my dad’s family were all graduates of Seijoh and were adamant on keeping it that way.” She explained. “How ‘bout you?”

Iwaizumi suddenly flinched at that, shifting in place. His eyes darted from the raven-haired girl to something behind her, looking uncomfortable for some reason.

Before she could ask, she heard a familiar voice call. “Iwa-chan! What class are we in?”

And then a familiar brunet appeared, freezing, too, at the sight of her. She felt her heart drop, body running cold, muscles tensing.

Because standing there, equally shell-shocked as she was, was her ex-boyfriend – Oikawa Tooru. And they were in the same school.

_Shit._


	2. i

**[i]**

_The cherry blossoms fluttered around, falling like rain, painting such a scene in this bittersweet event. While everyone was busy chatting with their friends – with bittersweet expressions on their faces – or having their photos taken, a certain dark-haired teen was busy making her way through the crowd towards the gymnasium. No one seemed to pay mind to her, too busy in their own little moment, allowing her to freely cruise through._

_As she neared gymnasium building, her ears picked up on the sound of resounding balls and squeaks. She sighed, slowly pushing the doors open, finding one equally raven-haired lad, clad in his uniform, drenched in sweat, and holding a volleyball in hand._

_She watched as he took a deep breath, tossed the ball in the air, jumping as he smacked it across the court, only to miss, barely touching the end line. Landing on his feet, he let out a frustrated breath, kicking the ground._

_“You’re doing it wrong,” she calls, announcing her presence._

_The boy turns, meeting his cousin’s gaze. The look in his eyes made her heart ache – they were so lifeless, dead._

_Entering the gym, she picked a ball from the ground, slowly walking towards him. When she was a foot from him, she lightly tapped the ball to his head. He looked up, meeting his cousin’s gaze._

_“Tell you what, over the break, I’ll teach you how to jump serve properly.” She smiled at him, it wasn’t much, but it was the least she could do. “Sound good?”_

_Eventually, Kageyama Tobio smiled back at his cousin._

**_A few months later…_ **

_DUNK!_

Bending on her knees, careful not to scratch her camera, she takes her drink from the machine, stabs the straw, and takes a sip, thoughts flying per usual as she gets to her feet.

Slipping her hands into her jacket, she leisurely watched the clouds above. Without taking her eyes off the sky, she snaps a few shots before walking away, feet taking her back to her classroom.

_Around this time, Tobi is probably applying for the volleyball club,_ she thought. How time flies so fast. She’s in her last year in high school just as he starts his.

_I should ring him sometime,_ thought the raven-haired teen, already pulling out her phone, watching flocks of students spreading out the campus grounds.

> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa**
> 
> Tobi!
> 
> Good luck on tryouts! (even tho you’ll do great and will be in without a doubt :3)

 

Not long later, she received a reply.

> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa**
> 
> thank you nee-san! i’ll do my best!1

 

She giggled at her cousin’s enthusiasm before pocketing her phone away, continuing her trek.

Humming a tune under her breathe, her eyes wandered around her surroundings – the trees, the field, the newly painted building wall, some dried leaves on the ground, and the occasional flock of female students. Ah, high school, such a bliss.

It was only the first week of class, but to Arisa, it still took some time to get used to.

Her carton was half-empty when she entered the building, momentarily distracted by the bulletin board – analyzing every single club notice on hiring new members while judging their poster at the same time. She snickered silently at the poorly made posters – sorry Home Economics club! – before walking away.

Finally reaching her classroom, she walked towards her desk, carefully setting down her camera before taking a seat. Her lunchbox was nearly empty, but she didn’t feel like finishing it. Sighing, she tucks her lunchbox away and busies herself with her camera, checking the photos she’s taken when the door slides open and a blur of brown runs towards her.

“Arisa!” the blur – a bespectacled brunette girl – calls cheerfully.

Without warning, the said girl lifts her camera, snaps a photo of the incoming girl. “Yo, Segumi.”

“Meanie,” the brunette pouts, then engulfs the girl into a hug. “but I missed you!”

“Likewise.” Arisa giggled, returning the hug. “By the way, congrats on the captaincy!”

Her brunette friend pulled away, blushing, playing with the ends of her hair, smiling nonetheless. “Thank you, I never expected it.”

“Nonsense, you’re the best choice!”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my best friend!”

“You wound me, Segumi.” She narrowed her eyes at her, hand on her chest to feign hurt, before flicking her forehead. “It was an obvious choice. Well, it was you or Kaede.” Even though said wing spiker ended up as vice-captain. “So, how was your break?”

“Ugh,” she slumps on a seat across her, plucking her brown and placing it on her left shoulder. “tiring. Especially when you’re the eldest and a lot of responsibility is laid down your plate.”

Arisa smiles in sympathy, patting her friend’s head. “There, there, you’ll be alright.”

“I hope so, especially now that Naoki and Haruki are starting their freshman year.” Several students enter the room, having finished their lunch break. The room was slowly filled with abuzz with chatters from her classmates.

“Oh wow, I forgot that they’re starting this year!” Arisa noted, Segumi’s younger siblings – who were fraternal twins, were growing up so fast! “I look forward to seeing their faces around school.”

“Yeah well, at least I’m not the only one they can turn to now.” Segumi shares, they laugh. “By the way, isn’t Tobio-kun starting high school today, too?” she asked suddenly.

Arisa hummed in confirmation, lifting her milk to her mouth.

“ _Torino,_ right?”

“ _Karasuno_ ,” Arisa stressed. “You read it wrong.”

More students entered the room. “Eh? Karasuno, huh? A shame he couldn’t make it to Aoba Johsai like you,” Arisa shrugged at that. “or Shiratorizawa even.”

She snorted at that. Not to be mean to her dear cousin, but she knew full-well how hard it was to get in Shiratorizawa. And Tobio, well, he has talent and all, he just wasn’t smart enough.

“So how’s he faring?” Segumi asked.

Finishing the contents of her milk, she meets her friend’s gaze. “He’ll be fine.”

_I hope._

****

**…**

Anime made sitting next to the window really cliché, but she saw the appeal of it. While the teacher discussed, Arisa could listen on with half her attention while the other half was outside admiring the view.

Blue reminded her of a lot of things – the ocean, her room, and Tobi’s eyes. But the sky’s shade of blue was light – almost too cheery of blue. Cotton-like clouds scattered along the wide blue sky. And if she looked closer, she could find an oddly-shaped cloud that reminded her of a Greek man’s face.

She yawned, resting her cheek on her palm.

School had just begun, but her body was still in break mode.

Unconsciously, her eyes slowly droop, head dropping–

“Yoshizawa!” her professor called, snapping her from her sleep-like trance. She sat on the third column, so it was easy to spot her. Sitting next to the window was a plus.

“Yes!” she chirped back, causing the class to laugh at her reaction. Her professor, however, was not amused, giving her a stern look. She knew she shouldn’t have stayed up late binge watching that new series.

“I’d appreciate if you could answer the question on board.”

Class had just begun, this was their first meeting, and already they were starting with a lesson? Silently groaning, she eyed the board before swiftly giving her answer. Satisfied, her professor resumed with his lesson, warning Arisa that she should pay attention next time.

The teen gave a thumbs-up, resting her face on her palm as she struggled to keep up with the discussion. But sleep won over and before she knew it, someone was nudging her awake. Apparently, she had slept through the whole period.

“Arisa-chan~” a familiar voice called, the smell of expensive cologne infiltrating her nose.

Groggily lifting her body from her desk, she stretched her arms over her head, sluggishly meeting one smiling Oikawa Tooru. “Sasai-sensei gave out syllabuses, and since you fell asleep, Sasai-sensei said he wouldn’t bother giving you one. So, I took the liberty of getting one for you!”

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she took the paper from his hands. “That’s very thoughtful. Thank you, Oikawa-san.”

“No problem.” Oikawa smiled at her. Arisa wondered if she looked like a mess – or did she drool? She put a hand to her cheeks, thankfully it was dry. But her hair must be a mess, so she finger combed through her raven-locks. “Looks like Arisa-chan slept late, huh?”

“Yeah, obviously.” She muttered, yawning again as she read her syllabus, oblivious to his eyes following her fingers smooth through her hair.

Oikawa nods, still standing next to her seat. “That’s understandable since class just started and all.” He smiles at her. “And how was your break? Anything interesting happened?”

“s’alright,” she says simply, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her piercings – two helixes on her cartilage. “Just family bonding and all.”

“Sounds fun!” Oikawa chirps, almost too cheerily.

She shrugs, ending the conversation there, folding the paper away. “Thanks for this.”

Oikawa’s mouth shuts close, lips in a tight line, nodding at her.

The bell rings, announcing lunch break. Students around them began to move for lunch. However, Oikawa was still by her table – because he sat right next to her. She met his gaze, unsurprised to find a myriad of emotions burning. And a question – there was always a question.

Before a word was spoken, the door slid and in came Hajime and Segumi.

“Arisa!” greeted her brunette friend, the tall lad trailing behind her. “Yoshizawa,” he greeted with a nod.

“Hey,” she greeted the two teens, yawning, not bothering to cover her mouth. At that, her best friend stops, arms crossed over her chest.

“Arisa, what time did you sleep?” her best friend asked in concern.

“I dunno,” she yawns again, taking out her lunch from her bag. “2 a.m., maybe?”

“Really.” Segumi deadpans, shoulders sagging.

“I can’t help it! The series I was watching was really good!”

Segumi frowns at her best friend, Hajime’s expression not far from hers. “Still, you shouldn’t go losing sleep because of it,” Hajime remarked sternly. “especially during school season. It’s not healthy.”

“What Iwaizumi-kun says!” Segumi says, still frowning at her.

“I’ll remember that,” Arisa tells them with a sleepy smile, discreetly eyeing the two.

“Iwa-chan can be such a mom sometimes!” Oikawa says, making her laugh in agreement. In turn, his statement earned a blank look from his friend. “Let’s go, Trashykawa, I’m starving.”

Oikawa salutes at his best friend. “Yes~ Ah! Arisa-chan, Tanaka-chan, would you like to join us?”

“We’re good,” Segumi answers, holding up her bento box. “Thanks anyways.”

Humming, Oikawa waves them goodbye. Hajime nods. “Well, see you later then!”

Once the two males were out of sight, Arisa turned to her best friend, her sleepy expression turned into a mischievous look. Startled, the brunette frowned at her best friend, tips of her ears reddening. “I rather don’t like that look.”

Arisa shrugged, the cheeky expression still on her face. “I didn’t say anything~”

“Your face says it all,” Segumi grumbles, unwrapping her lunch, Arisa mimics, setting their lunches on her desk.

“Says what?”

“Please stop.” Segumi pleads, face reddening.

“Can’t help it. _Because_ ,” Arisa sang, picking on her food before popping it in her mouth, pointing her chopsticks at the brunette. “you and Hajime look cute together.”

Segumi swatted the chopsticks away in disgust, red flushing her cheeks.

“Leave me alone, will you.”

Lunch was filled with discussion on classes and professors and how, by next week (and the week onwards), life will be hell. Reality had sunk in that they were third years, their most crucial and final year in high school.

“What a time to be alive,” Arisa says monotonously, inwardly crying at the shitload of requirements.

“Worry about that later, finish your meal now.” The brunette scolds, noting how she wasn’t eating much. “And besides, think on the bright side – it’s a whole new year!”

“You forget, that between the two of us, you’re the ball of energy.” She mutters, taking a bite from Segumi’s lunch, not that the brunette seemed to mind. “There’s always a bright side.”

“Well, there is.” She argued, pushing her glasses back. “But hey, stick to now, because that’s what matters most. The future’s unprecedented. We’ll worry about it when we get there.”

The raven-haired teen sighs, a soft smile on her face. “Your optimism can be scary, you know that?” the brunette smiles, fixing her lunchbox, Arisa following suit. Tying her lunch away, she realizes that there was 32 minutes until her next class. Also: “Ah, I’m still hungry.” She complains.

“We can eat after practice later,” Segumi suggests.

“This is why we’re friends,” she says as she hugs the brunette. “and why I love you, Gumi.”

Laughing, the bespectacled brunette pats her best friend’s head. The little quirks of her best friend, oh how she missed them. “Well, I have to go now.”

“No,” Arisa whined, nuzzling her face into her best friend’s chest. “don’t leave me, Gumiiiiiiiiiiii~”

“Sorry, but I have to check up with Coach for the tryouts this Friday.” Segumi says, slowly inching away, making the raven-haired whine with each inch. “You can use this time to catch up on sleep.” She suggested.

As if by magic, the raven-haired teen lets go and rests her head on her folded arms. “You’re the best, Gumi. See you later~”

Waving at her best friend, the brunette runs towards the door, sliding it close as she takes her leave.

_30 minutes of sleep, huh?_

If she recalled, her next class was English. She liked English. Add up that the professor was the moderator of the Press Club; she wanted to make an impression. With all these facts, she drifted off to sleep.

A little while later – exactly 30 minutes, she woke up to the sound of students chattering. Stretching her limbs, she felt refreshed from her little nap. Consciously, she ran her fingers through her hair, seeing as class hasn’t started just yet. Students were rushing into the room, walking towards their table, and making small talk.

“Arisa-chan~” Oikawa called out to her.

She looked up at the sound of her name, finding the smiling brunet handing her a canned beverage. Wordlessly, she reached out to take it. Coffee, black coffee to be precise.

She smiled at him. “Thank you, Oikawa-san.”

Oikawa’s smile grew.

**…**

Making her way to the gymnasium, Arisa walked backwards with her gaze towards the twilight sky. She silently counted in her head until the first stars popped out, just so she could make a wish. Also, she wanted to spot the Big Dipper. It was a habit of hers since junior high. Some habits were just so hard to break.

She was counting to seventy when she felt something behind her – something strong and sturdy. Turning, she finds a smiling brunet – Oikawa. He was in his tracksuit, probably from practice. And judging from the time, practice had just ended.

“Yahoo, Arisa-chan~” he greets with an easy smile. “What’cha doing?”

“N-Nothing,” she stammers, he raises his brow at her. “just watching the stars.”

She hated her choice of words, seeing how his gaze softened, though, she easily missed this and excused herself, making a beeline for the gym doors. Upon entering, the girls’ volleyball club was just finishing up practice and were cleaning up.

“Arisa!”

Plastering a smile, she lifted her hand, waving at her best friend, “Hey Segumi,” then at the people behind her. “everyone. Good job.”

Wiping the sweat from her face, with the towel around her neck, she meets Arisa’s expectant gaze. “So, ramen?”

“Ramen.” Arisa repeats, nearly sagging. “You have no idea how long I’ve been craving for Korean Ramen.”

Laughing at her best friend’s antics, she announces that they’ll be out in a while. Arisa nods, saying she’ll be waiting outside.

Stars slowly appear in the night sky – blinking, glimmering down on them. Sighing, she lost herself to the stars above her, entertaining herself by mapping out some constellations. She could easily spot the Big Dipper, soon finding the Little Bear. Funny, how dots in the night sky could have so much meaning, how they had stories to them, or how they’d guide the lost home – of how they remind her of a simpler time.

“ _After all, baby bear is always where mama bear is!”_

“ _The stars should be ashamed because you shine way brighter than them._ ”

“Yoshizawa-san!” a voice broke her of her reverie, bringing her to now.

She stared at them one last time before meeting up with the rest of the volleyball team, her cravings for Korean Ramen intensifying.

**…**

> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa**
> 
> Sooooooo :3
> 
> How did tryouts go? :D
> 
> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa**
> 
> i didnt get in
> 
> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa**
> 
> **O_O**
> 
> WHAT
> 
> WHY
> 
> NVM IM CALLING

**…**

Apparently, Tobi’s tryouts didn’t end well as he upset the captain, got in trouble with the vice-principal, and a certain someone ruined it for him – or so he says, Tobi wasn’t very clear on the details Still, they had a chance to prove themselves – he and two more first years who were trying out as well – as a three-on-three game set for next week.

As much as it pained her, she could only pray that it ends well for him. And judging by his tone, this _Hinata_ -person was giving her cousin a hard time. For some reason, she was eager to meet him. This seemed like a good change for Tobi.

"So, I heard Hinagiku-chan's on the team?" Arisa asked as they walked through the hallways, balancing her bento box on her head.

"Yes! We've been looking a libero since Momo-senpai graduated last year. Reina-chan's okay, but her receives are always off."

It was a bright, sunny day, a perfect day to eat outside, according to Segumi.

"You sound kind of excited to have Hinagiku-chan around."

They settled under a tree, with a clear view of the track field where several students played catch or Frisbee. It may be spring but seeing them play made her think of summer. Oh, how she loved summer.

"More than excited! She's a great player! She could be that libero from Chidoriyama's equivalent."

Arisa snorted. "Ha, maybe." _Though she seemed to exaggerate on that._

Chewing on her lunch, she took in her surroundings, admiring the scene in front of her – students frolicking under the sun, surrounded by freshly mowed grass, giving off a youthful vibe. Truly, picturesque. On instinct, she takes out her camera and snaps photos of students playing on the field. Feeling a bit playful, she turns her camera to her unsuspecting best friend, snapping as she ate.

“Arisa!” she berates, laughing nonetheless. “really, warn a girl.” She pushed her glasses back. “What if I looked weird?”

“Impossible.” She waved off.

Segumi rolled her eyes at that. “Well, let’s see it then.”

Obliging her best friend, she hands out her camera, eyes trailing back to the students playing Frisbee. She hummed a tune under her breathe as Segumi viewed her photos.

“You’re getting better, Arisa.” Segumi says, carefully handing her camera.

“Thanks, I’ve had a lot of practice over the break.” She casually answered, smiling fondly, mulling Segumi of the misadventures she’s been through, making gestures with her hands.

“Sounds like a lot of fun,” notes Segumi with a smile.

Arisa sighs dreamily, fiddling with her camera on her lap, eyes staring up at the clouds. “Hey Segumi?”

“Hm?”

It took her a while to respond, losing herself to the cloud formations. A blur of black crosses her view, she squints – surely, she saw a crow?

“Never mind.”

**…**

She’s walking around campus; Segumi was dealing with club activities, allowing her to wander around campus grounds.

Although she’s been around for three years, there were still certain structures that fascinated her. Plus, she loves discovering secret hiding places she’s never noticed before (adding it later to her list of hideouts).

Her ears were plugged in, music playing, losing herself to the beat as she admired every crook and nanny there was, the cat family she often visited over the years. She wished she brought her camera with her.

These were the places people tend to overlook – the everyday scene they take for granted. Boy, she really wished she brought her camera. Add up her love for indie-music, giving her a wonderland vibe.

Now that she thinks about it, she must start working on knowing the newest members of the Press Club, most especially from the documentation team, but most especially, the freshmen. She had to start working on basics she could teach them, the days she _could_ teach, and–

“Oikawa-san, I like you very much!”

Now the disadvantage of having her ears plugged is being blissfully aware of running into situations like these. If there was one thing in photography she learned that she could never apply in real life, it's timing.

A pretty girl was confessing her love to Oikawa just behind the complex building, where the cherry blossoms grew. It was a romantic setting, the perfect place to confess. Only it was ruined by her.

At first, it was tad embarrassing. And over the years, it was still fucking embarrassing.

Noticing their gaze on her, she lowered her gaze; face reddening as she mumbled an apology before walking away.

Why, oh why, did she have horrible timing?

She could feel his gaze on her even as she left. She missed the amused look on his face as he watched her leave.

**…**

> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa**
> 
> You’ll make the team, I know you will.
> 
> Think of your current situation as a new challenge to your new high school life (:
> 
> Good luck!
> 
>  

**…**

 

"Arisa-senpai!" A voice greeted her as she entered the gymnasium, automatically garnering the attention from many – unwanted attention.

Because the other gymnasium was under maintenance, the two volleyball clubs had to share. It wasn’t the first time it happened. Also, this was a way for the new members to get acquainted with the other team.

"Hi, Hinagiku-chan.” Arisa greeted the young girl, albeit uncomfortably, keeping her head down, having the attention of both teams. “Congrats on making the team."

The younger teen was oblivious to her senior’s discomfort, eyes sparkling at the sight of her. "Thank you! But imagine my surprise when I found you weren't there!"

Smiling a small smile, she scratches her cheek as she explained. "I already announced that I was quitting before our championship game."

"Still! It's no fun without you." The younger teen pouted, arms crossed over her chest.

"You're hurting Segumi's feelings." She frowned, turning to the captain. But her brunette best friend appeared teary-eyed along with a few third years.

"That's true, Arisa!" exclaimed Segumi, tearfully hugging Hinagiku from behind.

Arisa rolled her eyes. "Guys, seriously." From the corner of her eye, she could make out the third years from the boys’ club snickering at her. Two figures were looking at her, she could have sworn those two freshmen were familiar, _didn’t they go to Kitagawa Daiichi as well?_

"Alright ladies, enough chitchat, back to work!” barked their coach, who just happened to be her cousin – Etsuko Yoshizawa. “Especially you, freshmen!"

Like bees, they scrambled all over, terrified by their coach. The woman was fierce as she is beautiful, it was a family trait (or so Arisa’s told). Her tenacity was known not to be trifled with, not even by pretty boys who dared to smooth talk into her.

Greeting her cousin, Arisa begins to set her equipment.

"Thanks for doing this, Ari-chan." Her cousin says. Every year the woman recorded tryouts to study potential players, review on their plays, and something to show to the players once they graduate, but this year, her trusty camera broke and she’d have to buy a new one. But thankfully, while saving up money for a new camera, she had a cousin who was skilled in videography who was willing to help – free of charge!

"Meh, it's the least I could do." She says without looking up.

Her gaze kept on her cousin, a fond smile on her lips. "You know you could always-"

"That was a lifetime ago." She cuts, fixing the settings of her camera.

The older woman shrugs. "But you're still good at it. You know you miss it."

"I do," she admits, smiling slightly, not denying anything. "but it's not enough for me to come back." Satisfied, she stands behind her camera, watching the tryouts go on from the benches, occasionally, assisting the manager hand out drinks and towels in between practices.

**…**

At the next practice, she was in for a surprise when her best friend came running at her just as she finished setting up her equipment.

“Arisa, mind lending us a hand?”

“Say what now?”

“We’re short on players,” Segumi whined, a bit embarrassed, tugging the ends of her braided hair. “Plus, we could use a hand on the practice matches.”

“Really? You’re short on players _now_?” Arisa frowned, taken completely by surprise. “ _Already_?”

“Yup!” Segumi nods, too cheerfully. Arisa’s narrows her eyes in suspicion.

Trying to get out of the situation, she pinched at the ends of her skirt. “Uh, yeah. Even if I do, I don’t have the right outfit, so- “

“You can borrow mine!” Segumi says, almost enthusiastically.

Frowning heavily, she could feel the eager looks from her cousin and a few third years (from the girls’ and boys’), weighing the pros and cons, before finally agreeing to it.

It was no secret that with her many summers enrolling in various sports clinics, and her family’s crazy love for volleyball that she wounded up playing. Plus, she used to play in junior high. In fact, she and Segumi used to be rivals back then, but it was a friendly rivalry for Segumi admired Arisa's disposition as a player, her strategy, and her positive influence on her team.

Once she’s changed into Segumi’s spare clothes (thank god, they were the same size), the brunette was still discussing things with the new members. Seeing this, she decided to do a bit of stretching; all while avoiding the gleeful look on her cousin’s face.

“Nice to see you, Ari-chan.” Greeted her cousin with an expression likened to a fox.

Arisa didn’t like it. “Leave me alone, _coach_.”

The older woman giggled. “Segumi made you come here?”

“Segumi made me come here.” she parroted, feeling stupid for falling for Segumi’s antics, fixing her hair into a braid.

Her cousin whistled lowly, arms crossed. “Damn, should’ve had her talk you into joining the team!”

“Funny, you just thought that now after _three years_.”

Her cousin giggled. “Anyways, I’m glad she did. We could really roughhouse the new members, especially the freshmen.”

“Now you’re just being a sadist, Etsuko-nee.” The teen commented, stretching her arms to her sides.

“Hey! They’re in Aoba Johsai, a powerhouse. They should’ve known what they were going in for the moment they enrolled.”

Arisa merely rolled her eyes, nodding at the members who smiled at the sight of her. Putting the number 9 bib (‘Suzuna missed practice today due to a familiar emergency!’, Kaede had told her earlier), she slowly walked up to the court to meet the rest of the team.

After explaining the situation and rules, Coach Yoshizawa blew her whistle, commencing the practice game between potential regulars versus the regulars – plus an unwilling-but-no-choice Arisa.

Arisa was to serve first, much to her annoyance.

But it was funny how her annoyance changed drastically when she held the ball – the look of immense concentration crossed her face. As the whistle blew, she felt like she was thrown back to her junior high days.

**…**

One set later.

’Regulars vs Potential Regulars’

‘25 – 19’

"Yoshizawa-senpai, you're amazing!" some freshman, with her hair in pigtails, approached her.

"Really?" she stared at the younger girl, wiping sweat with her shirt, showing just a patch of her skin.

"Really!"

"Is this really your first time playing?" another freshman, with short hair, joined in.

"Well, my parents enrolled me in a series of sports clinics when I was younger during the summers." They ‘wowed’ at that, eyes sparkling.

"Arisa played since grade school," supplied her best friend, Segumi, hands on her hips. "She was even captain when we were in junior high."

"That was a lifetime ago, Gumi." She grumbles, clearly uncomfortable with the fame – and the looks the freshmen were giving her – especially from Hinagiku. "Besides, let's get back to the game!"

“Okay!”

On the other side of the court, the boys were currently taking a break, watching the girls’ practice match in interest, particularly a certain raven-haired teen.

Third game and still, she was on a roll. With a grin, she high-fived Segumi, and then complimented the second-year setter’s toss. As the game progressed, Arisa kept her eyes on the ball, body swiftly moving to receive it. “Get it, Segumi!”

“Alright!” The brunette complied, hitting the ball in.

“Wow, haven’t seen Yoshizawa played in a while.” Hanamaki whistled, admiring her frame. “As always, such a babe.”

After one powerful spike, Iwaizumi commented. “That’s some power she’s got there.”

“And she thinks fast,” Matsukawa says, admiring how she completely blocked a quick attack. “Like she moves completely on instinct.”

Sighing into his drink, Yahaba whines. “It’s a shame Yoshizawa-senpai couldn’t be our manager,” dramatically expressing the team’s loss for a female presence. “then we’d have one pretty face to look at.”

Kindaichi, upon hearing this, curiously turns to his senior, having known the female during his junior high years. Kunimi drank his water, seeming uninterested, but listened anyway.

The sound of shoes squeaking and smacking of balls permeated in the gym, along with praises from each team. As the game progressed, minutes seemed to drag into hours.

Oikawa wished break ended fast, just so his team could stop ogling at Arisa. But he, too, couldn’t look away. After all, she _was_ something to look at.

Seeing Arisa play was kind of refreshing, seeing how she still plays so gracefully. Her serves were perfect, never amiss. Her technique was flawless. And with every play, she never forgets to smile, the same smile that tugs his heart still.

Back in the day, Arisa was known to be ‘The Girl with a Killer Smile’, smiling every time played. Win or lose, she was always smiling. Also, it was no secret that she was skillful. On her first year, she was awarded 'Best Rookie of the Year' and on her third year 'MVP'.

Arisa’s best friend, Segumi, found it a waste that Arisa doesn't play in high school anymore, but manages to get her to play during plays, sports festival, and tryouts whenever she can.

“Arisa, nice serve!”

Seeing as the current rotation had high blockers up front and strong receivers at the back, Arisa went for a jump float. Clearly, it had been the right choice because they were fumbling to receive it.

Arisa was exceptionally skilled in her serves - jump, float, underhand, or topspin serves, to name a few. She was an aggressive spiker and average blocker. But she also had a reputation for playmaking the game the moment she serves and for saving wayward balls while diving. They were all risky dives, but she manages to get the game playing.

In her last year, her team became champions and eventually made it to nationals.

Really, watching her play was like watching the female version of Kageyama play, minus the ‘Kingly Aura’. And just like her cousin, she was dubbed as a ‘genius’, but in her defense, she’s not.

Plus, she’s had enough of the glory and limelight, and of the association of the sport.

**…**

_“Why don’t you become our manager? You have some knowledge of the sport and all, and you have strategies and play that could help the team, plus, you know how to deal with rowdy boys.”_

_She laughed that sweet laugh of hers, although it seemed dry and without humor. “You’re so cute, Hajime.”_

_The spiky-haired teen kept his eyes on her, even as her laughter died down._

_“You know why I won’t.”_

**…**

> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> i got in
> 
> and apparently, we’re having a practice match with aoba johsai soon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Truth be told that the opening was from a post I saw about a sad Kageyama graduating, but he was alone because of his 'Kingly' vibes :<  
> If I made Arisa seem too perfect of a player, I'm sorry. I based her off Alyssa Valdez (look her up). Also, Segumi Tanaka is really my OC (an old one at that), I was too lazy to come up with names.


	3. ii

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If it's kind of sloppy, I apologize. Just happy I finally got myself to finish this (it's been stressing me for days). Also, we get a glimpse of how complicated the relationship of the two are.

**[ii]**

"Arisa-nee!”

At the sound of her name, the raven-haired teen turns to find twins – boy and girl with brown hair like that of her best friend, calling out to her, followed by a group of first years she assumed were their friends.

“Naoki-chan, Haruki-kun!” putting her camera down, she walked up to ruffle their heads affectionately. “How are you?”

“We’re doing great!” Naoki answered enthusiastically, pumping her hands for emphasis. “I still can’t believe I’m in high school!”

“Yeah,” seconds her twin, Haruki, tugging at his tie. “like, it seems like yesterday when we were just two kids, now we’re teenagers.”

Arisa laughed at that. “I understand your sentiments. But you guys gotta relax; you’re first years with your whole lives ahead of you!”

“I wish it were that easy,” muttered Haruki, the older teen offered a sympathetic smile.

“By the way, what’s nee-san doing?” Naoki asked, tilting her head.

“Hm? Oh, just working on my photography.” She answered. To make her point, she snaps a photo of the twins and their friends. Giggling at their reactions, her smile apologetic and mischievous.

“Right, Arisa-nee is part of the Press Club!” Haruki snapped his fingers at the thought.

Behind the twins, she could vaguely make out the look on their friends’ face, narrowing at the sight of her. She dismissed this, seemingly oblivious to their whispers. “You guys are joining, right?”

“Of course!” they cried in unison, their expression was filled with determination.

“I’m not giving up on my dream to become a news anchor!” declared Haruki, fist on his heart.

Arisa laughed heartily – Haruki was always so enthusiastic about his dream, adjusting her camera strap. “Well, I’ll best be seeing you around then.”

Once she was out of sight, one of the twins’ friends approached Naoki, asking. “Hey, Tanaka, who was that?”

“Ah, she’s our big sister’s best friend – Yoshizawa Arisa.” Naoki readily replied.

Their eyes widened at the sound of her name. “Yoshizawa- wasn’t she a volleyball player in middle school? The one who won ‘MVP of the Year’?”

“What? No way!” gushed their other friend. “But wait, didn’t she used to date Oikawa?”

“Wait, what? That was also _her_!?”

Naoki and Haruki exchanged glances, shrugging. “Yeah, but she’s just Arisa-nee to us.”

She didn’t mean to, but she did. Arisa heard it all, having a terrible knack for picking up on conversations she shouldn’t be listening to. Kicking herself off the wall, she sighs, entering the school building as if nothing happened.

_‘They just keep coming.’_

In her three years in high school, Arisa couldn't escape being associated with Oikawa.

Yeah, she was noted for having a reputation in volleyball back in middle school, but many seemed to focus more on her past relationship. Almost everyone knew that they once dated and that she was the one who broke it off. Obviously, Arisa was never the type to dwell on her love life, so it was a wonder how people knew that one detail. Iwaizumi wasn’t the chatty type. Oikawa, despite having quite the attitude, would never stoop so low.

Rumors say that the reason she broke up with him was that she was sleeping around and had enough of Oikawa. She couldn't help but laugh, people were so desperate to see her on her knees. She was tough; it'll take something more than that to break her.

But the rumor leaned more on her breaking up with him because he was too obsessed with volleyball, was…partially true.

Exhaling through her nose, Arisa ran a hand through her hair. She hated being in the spot light, hated the attention.

She needed a breather.

And luckily, it was just meters away from her.

Sliding the door open, the club room was a sight for sore eyes after months of break – the steel bookshelves, the whiteboard on the wall, a long table at the heart of the room (where meetings were held), the tiny lockers and the worktable (that faced the windows). Several heads turned her way; Arisa lifted a hand in greeting. "Hey."

"Welcome back, senpai!" greeted the lower classmen, moving aside as she walked towards her work table. Pleasantries were exchanged, about her break and expectations of the new school year.

Reaching her desk, she immediately indulged herself to work - reviewing some clips from last year. It was more of a project really, to promote the school newspaper, and something to add to her portfolio. Plugging her earbuds, she began to lose herself to the clips she and some of her juniors took, reviewing each. Nobody bothered to disturb her, seeing how she was so in sync with her work.

However, a tap on her shoulder broke her from her rhythm. Annoyed, she turned to find Kuzunari Hiryuu, the editor-in-chief.

“Hi Yoshizawa.” he starts, rather cautiously.

“Kuzunari.” She greeted back, expression relaxing.  “What’s up?”

“Oh nothing, just wanted to let you know of the club rally this Monday. You know, to promote the club and gather members we have to stand out in some way.”

“You know I was thinking,” she interjected immediately after he finished speaking. “I just finished the club’s promotional video- “at this, there was a series of exclamations and excitement from her club mates. “and I thought we could use it, play it during the program to get people hooked.”

Kuzunari smiled, expectantly. “I was just about to ask that actually.” Arisa flushed, caught off guard. “Hanazawa-senpai says I should get it from you. He says it’s a good idea, I think so, too.”

She narrowed her eyes at her editor-in-chief. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were buttering me up.” Kuzunari threw his hands up, to deny her claim. Nevertheless, she stands, rushes to her locker, digs through her bag for her hard-drive before giving it to him. “It’s there, in the ‘School Publication Stuff’ folder under ‘WIP’ folder titled ‘Promotional Video’.”

Kuzanari gratefully takes it. “Thank you, Yoshizawa.”

“Ah! Kuzunari-senpai, Yoshizawa-senpai, can we see it?” one of the club members asks. Kuzunari turns to her, asking with his eyes, Arisa nods with a smile. Immediately, the club members scramble to one of the computers, insisting that they play it on the projector for everyone to see. Really, they were such a rowdy crowd. She missed this.

Frankly, she still found it hard to believe that she was in her third year – her final year in high school.

As the lights dimmed and the video started, she had a feeling that it was going to be another interesting year.

**…**

> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> When’s your practice match going to be again?
> 
> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> tuesday next week.
> 
> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> That’s rather unexpected.
> 
> It’s too soon!

 

Arisa chewed on her nail, tapping idly at her phone, unconsciously bobbing her head to the beat of the music.

> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> that’s what they thought too. but it was the only one the instructor could get.
> 
> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> Instructor?
> 
> They don’t have a coach?
> 
> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> Apparently not.

 

Arisa frowned at her cousin’s text. Leaning on her desk, she rests her chin on her palm, staring at her phone with a frown.

> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> What happened to Coach Ukai?

Biting down her lip, Arisa felt peevish. Lunch just ended, but Arisa was still feeling hungry. But she has no extra cash on her because she was running late that morning, making her grab just her lunch, but not her daily allowance from her grandpa.

> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> he got a stroke and is indisposed as of the moment.
> 
> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> How unfortunate : (
> 
> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> tell me about it.
> 
>  

Her lips downturned, Arisa could imagine how frustrated and disappointed her cousin was, she wished she was there to console him at least. And he was so looking forward to getting into Karasuno after he failed the entrance exam at Shiratorizawa!

Groaning, she pressed her head against her cold desk, hands massaging her abdomen. Lazily lifting her arm, she tugged at her sleeve; her watch says there were only five minutes until the bell rang. Maybe she could borrow money from Segumi next door? Nah, she’s too lazy to get up. So, the option to get down and buy yogurt milk was obviously not happening.

Suddenly, something was placed on her desk.

Curious, she turned her head, cheek pressed against the desk, finding a bottle of banana yogurt milk and a bar of chocolate. And the giver was a familiar brunet, who was grinning ear to ear.

Sitting up, she pulls out her earphones. “Err…” her eyes dart from the treats to Oikawa. “What is…?”

“Just a little something,” he says cheekily, his expression almost too sugary sweet. “And it looked like Arisa-chan could use the sugar rush!”

She blinked at him, eyeing the sweets in front of her, itching to get her hands on them. She knew she could turn it down, but she was still hungry! Plus, it was her time of the month.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel suspicious.

(But he knew that his smile says it all. And as the saying goes, ‘old habits die hard’)

Arisa nods in understanding, touched by the gesture. Meeting his gaze, she says “Thank you, Oikawa-san.” She then tears at the plastic, breaking the chocolate into several pieces. She was bringing a piece to her mouth when her phone buzzed. Beside her, the brunet took his seat, curiously glancing at her phone.

> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> by the way, they left out a condition about the practice match

 

“Hm?” her brows knitted together, popping a piece of chocolate in her mouth.

> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> they want me to play setter the whole match

 

Arisa stopped chewing, blinked twice, staring at the text repeatedly, letting the words sink in. She could feel her seatmate's curious gaze on her. Gulping, she reaches for the yogurt milk, twisting it open, but not drinking it just yet.

“Arisa-chan, are you okay?”

Turning to the brunet, she had to ask. “So, you’re having a practice match with Karasuno next week?”

Arisa holds his gaze; he doesn’t break away, seeing something glint.

Oikawa smiles sweetly, knowingly. “Yep! And isn’t Tobio-chan in Karasuno?” she nods, taking a sip of her drink. “Too bad he couldn’t go to Aoba Johsai, eh?”

Not exactly the response she was looking for, but it was close enough. “Yeah, too bad.” She pops another piece of chocolate in her mouth, turning back to her phone.

> **TO: Tobi**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> That’s interesting.
> 
> You better be on your best because I’ll be watching ; )

 

“Still in touch with Tobio-chan, I see.” He smiled, watching her pocket her phone.

Shrugging nonchalantly, she swirls the contents of her drinks, popping another piece of chocolate in her mouth. “I look after him in my little ways.”

“That’s Arisa-chan for you, such a responsible big sister.”

Oikawa leans towards her; she didn’t notice him approach until she felt his thumb on the corner of her lip, scraping pieces of chocolate. She jerks slightly, watching as he licks the chocolate from his thumb, aware that she was watching him. Before another word was spoken, the bell rung, and students were hurrying into the room.

**…**

Later that evening, she received a text from Tobio.

> **FROM: Tobi**
> 
> **TO: Arisa-nee-san**
> 
> im going to prove myself!
> 
> i want to earn my place in the team!

 

She smiled, heart tugging. Junior high must’ve taken a toll on him, huh?

**…**

“Newton's first law states that every object will remain at rest or in uniform motion in a straight line unless compelled to change its state by the action of an external force…” Sasai-sensei explained, reading from his notebook. But all Arisa could hear was ‘blah, blah, blah, blah’.

The struggle to keep herself awake in class was hard, especially during boring lessons from subjects she detested – like Math in all its forms. Her head felt like dropping, her eyelids getting heavy, already on the verge of falling asleep.

But the sound of something dropping to the ground brought her back, especially noting that the pen in hand was missing. Thankfully, Sasai-sensei was too busy explaining the application of Newton’s law to even notice her (she was his least favorite student). Yawning, she made motion to get it when someone beat her to it.

“Here, Arisa-chan.” A smiling brunet handed her pen, a smile that was too big and bright for a boring subject.

“Thank you,” she said with a small, tired, smile, returning to the lesson. Correction: attempted to.

It was so hard to stay awake. She could blame herself for her late-night series binge-watching, finishing two whole series in one night. In one attempt to stay awake, she takes hold of her chin – making her thumb nail puncture her skin. It worked for a while, until her head swayed, letting her head hit the window. She was awake in an instant, frustrated yet determined to keep herself awake the whole class.

Unbeknownst to her, Oikawa was enjoying her struggle, silently enjoying as his seatmate improvised with what she had to do to stay awake.

Sometimes, Arisa wondered how the hell she managed to be in a college prep class. (Segumi was _way_ smarter than her, at least in her opinion)

It felt like the longest day of her life.

But to anyone else, it was just a regular Tuesday.

**…**

“Ah, I’ll go on ahead,” Kuzunari announces, pocketing his phone away, heading towards the lockers for his things.

“Something happened?” Arisa – who was going through the list of applicants – asked, tilting her seat back to Kuzunari.

“Nothing,” Kuzunari sighed, pushing his glasses back. “just that Basho-sensei wants to talk about something regarding the club. And as editor-in-chief, he thought I’d like to hear it.” Arisa hums in understanding.

“Senpai, let’s leave together,” Fujiwara calls, already picking her things and looking sheepish. “I almost forgot that it’s my turn to make dinner.”

Arisa giggles; Fujiwara Aoi – a second year, news editor and a bit of a klutz – was just so cute! “Well, go on then.” She waved at the two.

“Will you okay by yourself, senpai?” Fujiwara asked worriedly. The other club members had to leave early due to some activities (and detention).

Swirling on her seat, Arisa looked at the younger teen with an assuring smile. “I will, Fujiwara.”

Though unsure, Fujiwara nods. “Well then, bye Yoshizawa-senpai!”

“Don’t forget to lock up!” Kuzunari calls.

“Yes, yes,” Arisa called back, returning to the computer screen.

Earlier, they had a meeting for the activities in store for them for the year. And there was surely a lot to be done, being the school’s official publication. Seeing that she was now the senior documentation and sports editor, she had a lot to do-

Arisa let out a tired yawn, finally realizing how tired she was. She could hardly remember what went on today!

Seeing that no one was around, add up that she’s really tired; she decided to take a nap, seeing that it was a slow day.

Shutting down the computers, she headed for the lockers for her bag and tossed it over on the ratty old couch, which was donated by the old club president. Since then, it’s served the club valiantly for years by allowing them to rest in the club room and not have to walk three floors down to the next building just to sleep in the clinic. 

Sliding the window open, she let in the cool summer air. Outside, she could see students from all walks of life going about with their life. It was a sight to see, really. A pretty picture to paint what high school was all about.

As another yawn escaped her mouth, Arisa then walked towards the couch, turning around to fall on her back, lying comfortably, body opposite to the window. The sight of blue skies reminded her vaguely of Tobi’s eyes, his usually piercing, calming and innocent gaze. She was wondering how he was doing now. Thoughts of him filled her head, wondering how he was doing at his new school and the friends he’s made. She really can’t wait to see him.

And then, before she knew it, she fell asleep.

Sometime when she did, a ball flew in, landing just beside the sofa she was sleeping on. Voices were heard, calling out to the people in the room, but Arisa was too deep in sleep to notice.

Minutes later, there was a knock at the door. Arisa’s soft snores echoed through when another knock followed. When no one seemed to open it, the person announced that he was coming in.

Discreetly, the someone crossed the room, searching the ball, all while commenting in awe at how the School Press Club room looked like. He finds the ball, along with a raven-haired teen fast asleep on the couch. She was using her bag as a pillow, an arm across her forehead and another across her belly.

He stood in awe, momentarily forgetting what he came for, captivated by the sleeping beauty.

Suddenly, Arisa turns to her side, allowing locks of her dark hair to fall across her face.

Oikawa kneeled to her level, admiring the sleeping form of his ex-girlfriend. Tentatively, he reached out to tuck strands of hair away from her face. Arisa stirred but didn’t wake up.

He can’t help but smile – a sad smile, for, after all these years, she still takes his breath away.

He missed the long talks about constellations, mythologies, volleyball, and corny things she’d laugh about. He felt like he could tell her just about anything. Arisa Yoshizawa had a special place in Oikawa Toru’s heart.

Unable to help himself, he leaned in – nose brushing against her hair, inhaling her shampoo, her skin felt smooth, there was almost zero blemish, and he knows that she likes keeping her makeup light and natural – the press of his lips on her skin sent his heart into overdrive, just like the first time he laid eyes on her.

**_…_ **

Wednesday afternoon, Arisa found herself running an errand. On hand, she held about two boxes filled with books the club was able to buy from last year’s fundraising event for their sister school somewhere southeast of Asia. Arisa had volunteered to hand them over to the faculty room, wanting to head home early.

Although heavy, with the added weight of her backpack behind her, Arisa didn’t mind. She’d like to believe that she was letting her tired muscles do the work. Grey-blue eyes trailed over water dripping down the roof, humming a tune under her breath, resting her chin on top of the boxes. The air was humid as she passed through the walkway, the ground damp from the rain earlier.

“Ah, Arisa-chan!”

At the sound of her name, she turned, finding Oikawa waving at her. Covered in sweat and wearing his jersey jacket, it was obvious that he came from practice.

“Oikawa-san,” she greeted back with a nod, adjusting her hold on the boxes. “do you need anything?”

“Nothing, really.” He replied, walking towards her. “We’re on break from practice and I saw you, so I just thought I’d say hi.”

Arisa blinked rapidly at him, frowning slightly. “Well now that you’ve said it, I must take my leave now.” she bowed lowly, turning to leave. “Excuse me.”

“Wait, Arisa-chan!” he called after – she flinched at that, trailing behind her. “Do you need some help?”

“No, I’m good.” She said simply over her shoulder, almost too quickly. Even when she said that the brunet was walking beside her. “Uh, don’t you have a practice to return to?”

“Hm?” he tilts his head, acting cutesy. “Why, want to get rid of me already?”

“You’re the captain.” She stressed, adjusting her hold. “So yes, I’m getting rid of you, so you could practice.”

Oikawa huffed, pouting childishly. “That’s mean, Arisa-chan.”

Arisa merely shrugged, keenly aware of him following after her. Without a word, he takes one of the boxes and falls in step with her. Seeing as Oikawa’s not going to leave her alone, Arisa sighed and walked on. After all, Hajime was always there to scold him for running off in the end.

When they reached the faculty room, it was Oikawa who opened the door for her like the gentleman he was. Arisa was just about to enter when somebody crashed into her, seemingly in a hurry, letting the box drop on Oikawa’s foot. He let out a pained yelp.

Panicked, Arisa approached the brunet. “Oikawa-san, are you okay?”

“Ah, y-yeah.” Oikawa assures, chuckling even to show that he was alright, taking the box from the ground. “People should really watch where they’re going, eh?” Arisa eyed him, saying nothing as they entered the faculty room.

Together, they handed the box to the club moderator’s daughter, who was star struck at the sight of Oikawa (even though she was way older than them). Arisa pretended she didn’t notice, typing a text to her moderator that she finished her task.

“Aren’t you supposed to get back to practice?” she asked without looking at Oikawa.

“So cold, Arisa-chan!” he cried, following after the raven-haired teen, admiring her figure from behind. “You’re amazing, Arisa-chan, and so hardworking.”

“And you should really get back to practice.” She said with a slight irritation in her voice. To anyone, it would seem like she was annoyed with Oikawa. Well, she was. But also, she was annoyed at him neglecting his duties as captain, having known his dedication to the sport, for her.

Although classes were over, some students lingered about the campus grounds. A few looked their way, eyeing the two in surprise, whispering among themselves. Arisa closed her eyes, annoyed, placing some distance between them. She could never escape the gossip.

Noticing this, Oikawa frowned.

Reaching the staircase, Oikawa takes hold of her arm. “Hey, Arisa-chan.”

“You should really get back to practice,” she says quietly, trying to break free from his hold. “and please let me go.”

He only frowned at that, not letting her go. Instead, he tightened his grip on her.

Frustrated, she pulled away by force, making her slip on the ledge.

Oikawa was quick to grab her, pulling her to him, they both fall to the ground. Arisa didn’t miss the sharp hiss coming out of his mouth. “Oikawa-san!”

**…**

Basking in silence, the room felt unbearable for Arisa, especially with Oikawa lying in the clinic bed, nursing his swollen ankle. She could feel his stare on her, but hers were on his ankle, guilt washing over.

Arisa wrapped and attended to Oikawa’s bruise herself, being used to sports injuries. The nurse was nowhere to be seen, probably went to the toilet or something. She had already texted Hajime, letting him know of Oikawa’s situation. (‘ _That idiot! I’m on my way!’_ was the reply that came seconds later)

“I…I-I’m sorry…” she says softly, hiding her eyes behind her bangs.

The brunet stared at her, fingers itching to touch her. He settled for a sigh, she only felt worse.

“ _Ah,_ and I was _so_ looking forward to the practice match next week!” he whined, albeit in an obnoxious sort of way. It irritated Arisa, knowing that he was faking it. “All the practicing, gone to waste.”

Gulping a few times, she turns to him. “I said I was sorry, didn’t I?” his brown eyes – reminding her of caramel, bore into hers, she looked away. “Plus, it was your fault, you wouldn’t leave me alone.”

“It’s hardly my fault,” Oikawa replied hotly, childishly, arms crossed over his chest. “You wouldn’t talk to me.” His tone took a sharp turn, creating tension in the room.

Arisa could feel it, but rolled her eyes, shaking her head. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“You just don’t want to talk about it.” There was venom in his tone, his jaw tightening. “That’s what you were always good at.”

“ _Oikawa_ ,” his name sounded like it carried so much weight as she said it, meeting him in the eye, challenging. “there’s nothing to talk about, okay?” Anger slowly flaring up, she couldn’t help herself. “And besides, your ankle looks like it’s been swollen for a while now,” her hands tightening into a fist. “you’ve been pushing yourself, haven’t you?”

“Arisa-chan, you shouldn’t raise your voice in the clinic.” He scolds, pouting.

She wanted to point out that they were the only ones in the clinic but didn’t. Instead, she mentally calmed herself, exhaling harshly. She rolled her eyes at him, angry at how he stupid he was being, before grabbing her backpack, ready to leave when she was stopped by a hand on her wrist.

The tension was unbearable. And she was anticipating for him to say something, anything really, his personality was disgusting like that. But instead, he pulls her to him, whispering against her shoulder blade: “You could make it up to me, you know.” He said, almost suggestively.

Arisa swallowed, she knew that tone so well.

What was it with this guy? He was always switching his gears, which was annoying to fight off, it was like dealing with a Hydra – she cuts off one head and another grows.

Without another word, she walked up to the bed, sat beside him, and met his stare. Brown eyes locked on her, waiting.

She didn’t know what came to her, but she leaned in, putting her hands on either side of Oikawa, “This is just to make up for it.” She says before pressing her lips to his.

Oikawa’s hand went to her hair, the other on her hip. Arisa barely had time to register what she had done as his smooth lips moved against hers, his hand massaging her scalp. They kissed harshly, fiercely. Oikawa leaned in, pressing his body against hers.

And they parted flushing and panting.

Her eyes widened at the realization of their actions, of what she’s done. She could hear her heart pounding; feel the heat of her face and the ache of her lips. Oikawa reached out a hand, tucking strands of hair behind her ear.

“ _Arisa…”_ he whispered, pressing his forehead against hers.

And then she ran, bypassing a surprised Hajime along the way.

**…**

“Tobi!”  she called excitedly, seeing their bus arrived.

The raven-haired lad turns, the look of annoyance drops at the sight of her. “Arisa-nee-san!”

Once she was in front of him, Arisa pulled him into a hug. “It’s so good to see you, Tobi!” she gushed, breaking the hug, holding him at arm’s length. “And you’re so big now!”

A blush breaks out of his usually stoic face, but she could see his eyes shining. “I-It’s nice to see you, too, n-nee-san.”

“Ha? Kageyama knows this pretty girl!?” the orange-haired boy – she instantly recognized him as the one from Tobio’s middle school match – yells, pointing at her.

“Idiot, don’t you point at her!” her cousin scolds. Arisa holds his shoulder, to calm him down.

Taken back from the small orange-haired boy’s presence, the corners of her lips lift into a small smile. “Hi, I remember you! You played against Tobi in middle school, right? Nice to see you again.” The orange-haired boy blushed at that. And it took Tobi’s snide remark to bring him back.

His teammates began to gather, taking notice of Arisa’s presence. Tobi noticeably stood a little too close next to his cousin. Introductions were made; Arisa playfully ruffles Tobio’s hair. He flushed at this, making her laugh. Ah, still that awkward little boy of hers!

“It’s an honor to finally meet you all.” She bowed to their volleyball instructor, Ittetsu Takeda.

“N-No, the honor is ours, really!” The older man bowed back, jittering a bit. From the looks of it, it was clear that the man knew nothing about volleyball, but he seemed to care a great deal about the team. “I didn’t know Kageyama-kun had a cousin at Aoba Johsai.” That made her smile.

“Tobi’s not the chatty type, sensei.” She explained, walking them to the gymnasium. “If you don’t mind me asking, sensei, how _is_ Tobi faring in the team so far?”

Startled, the older man’s expression fumbles as he explains that he had been busy setting practice matches to even check the tryouts. “Kageyama’s doing great so far, he’s still rough around the edges, but he’s improving.” someone answers for him, a boy with gray-hair and brown eyes – Sugawara Koushi, Karasuno’s vice-captain. “Ah, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt your talk, but sensei’s never really met or seen Kageyama until he was accepted.” At this, the instructor laughs, embarrassed.

“You’ve been busy, sensei.” Arisa smiled at the older man. Remembering his words, she turned to the gray-haired teen “If I may ask, in what way is Tobi improving?”

He hums. “He’s becoming a better person now. And skill-wise,” Sugawara glances at her cousin, his eyes soft. “you’ll just have to wait and see.”

Following his gaze, she saw her cousin was arguing with the orange-haired boy while a tall blonde sneered at them. So wait, she did.

During his practice game, she sat with Karasuno, to support her cousin (Hanamaki took offense to that, to which she teasingly replied by childishly sticking her tongue out). The first set of the game was bad, really bad seeing as how nervous the orange-haired boy – Hinata, was. As Sugawara explained, it was his first official practice match, having no real club experience in middle school. She felt really bad for him.

But they pulled through by the second set, where she witnessed the so-called ‘freak quick’.

“Amazing…” she breathed, staring at her cousin and Hinata, her heart swelling with pride. Suddenly, she was standing and cheering. “Nice one, Tobi, Hinata-kun!”

“Yes!” Sugawara pumped his fists.

Watching the gray-haired lad beside her made her think. “Sugawara?”

“Hm?”

“Don’t you find it a bit insulting to be benched even though you’re the team’s official setter?” she asked, rather bluntly. Sugawara was momentarily surprised but soon broke into a smile, as if expecting her question.

Resting his elbows on his thighs, he answered. “I guess you can say that I am. But I’m not going to lie,” his gazed locked on Kageyama, who was yelling at Hinata’s sloppy receive. “when I saw his match in middle school, I felt a bit intimidated by how great our difference in skill is. So, to answer your question, yes, it’s insulting, but it’s alright.” His lips upturned, locking his eyes with hers. “We don’t get this opportunity much, and I want Kageyama to get comfortable with the team.”

Arisa was blown by this, touched by how unselfish and how sincere he was.

Arisa also realized just how brown his eyes were, beautiful brown eyes that aptly reminded her of nature after the rain. And the mole on his eyes was really cute. Realizing that they had been staring too long, they both blushed, looking away, awkwardly laughing.

When the referee called for a time-out, Arisa helped in distributing drinks and towels. While doing so, she complimented the team’s dynamics and plays, especially the ‘freak quick’ duo (who looked like they were over the moon).

Throughout the game, she couldn’t help but snap a few shots of her cousin, especially when they did the ‘freak quick’, which was tricky to get from how fast it was. So far, the team was playing really well, the third set upon them, when loud squeals filled the gym. She didn’t have to turn to know who made his entrance.

Seeing her cousin stiffen at the sight of his former senior, Arisa walked up to him, whispering “Don’t let him get to you.” He nodded but stared back cautiously at his former senior.

She will not lie, Oikawa was a frustrating player – he was good to a fault and skilled, which is intimidating enough. He was a genius, naturally-talented and graceful. It was no wonder he earned the captaincy of the team.

The feel of something vibrating on her jacket broke her of her thoughts; she picked her phone, seeing two missed calls from her cousin, and a text telling her to head to their gymnasium ASAP. She looked up at the match, then back at her phone, biting her lip.

“I’ll be right back,” she announced, not waiting for a reply before leaving the gym.

Frustrated at the interruption, she ran towards gymnasium 4 (which was the volleyball girls’ gym), where Coach Yoshizawa, her cousin, was waiting for her. Arisa ignored the greetings and walked straight up to her cousin.

“Ah, Ari-chan, there you are.” The older woman greeted monotonously. “Sorry for interrupting your precious time” there was a playful glint in her eyes, along with a teasing smile “but it’s that time of the year again where we could really use your help.”

Arisa huffed, she saw this coming. It’s no secret that she helps out however she can with the girls’ practices when she can. Sometimes, she’d turn it down, sometimes, she doesn’t. Pretty often, it was the former. “You know, you could’ve just called.” She said, arms crossed over her chest.

“Yeah, but that would be no fun.”

Rolling her eyes, she nodded at her. “Why can’t _you_ do it?”

The older female puts a hand on her stomach, face straight as she announces. “I’m pregnant.”

Arisa’s eyes widened at that, shock written all over her face. “Whoa, that took a quick turn.”

“Yeah, I know.” She rolled her eyes, brushing it off. “C’mon, Tanaka, Itto and the whole team’s begging! The preliminaries are coming! And you know we need the girls to get used to the different kinds of serves!”

Only because she just wanted to go back to gymnasium 3 (which is a 5-minute run, by the way, 8, if you walk) to catch up on the last few minutes, she said: “Alright, I’ll do it!”

Coach Yoshizawa blew her whistle, calling for a break and called for the captain and vice-captain to relay the message of Arisa helping the team. Arisa laid down her own conditions, being a member of the Press Club. When all was said and down, Arisa turned to her cousin. “Can I go now?”

Coach Yoshizawa gave her a thumbs-up and Arisa was off.

The moment she was outside, she wanted to turn to her cousin and give her the finger. It was already twilight! Just how long were they talking?

Knowing that the practice match finished, she made for the school entrance. One hand held onto her camera as she ran, making her look really odd as she ran.

Seeing the Karasuno team’s retreating frame leaving the school grounds, Arisa began to run faster.

“Tobi!” she cried frantically.

The said raven-haired lad turned, eyes widening at the sight of her. “Nee-san!”

“Ah, Yoshizawa, was it?” says their captain once she reached them, catching her breath.

“Thank god I caught up with you guys!” Sugawara offers her water; she takes it graciously, taking one long sip. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she returns Sugawara his water jug.

“Well, just thought I’d see my favorite cousin before he goes.” Approaching her cousin, she pulls him into a hug. At this, the team flushes red, but she didn’t notice this. “You played great, Tobi. And I’m so happy to see that you’ve made good friends.” Tobio flushed at her cousin’s words. “Don’t be a stranger, okay?”

Her cousin grunts ‘yes’, probably embarrassed at the affection in front of his teammates, making her laugh. “I’ll miss you,” she murmurs, holding him tighter before pulling away.

“I promise to text you,” Tobio tells her, she smiles.

Without a word, she takes a few steps back, taking a photo of the team, laughing at their expressions. Meeting their gazes, she flashes a smile. “Please take care of Tobi for me, okay?”

Her smile’s effect left the team (except Tobio) to blush beet red.

“Sure,” Sugawara answers, his smile was radiant and heartwarming. “Kageyama’s in good hands.”

She watches them get on their bus, waving at them as their bus disappears from sight. Minutes passed, but Arisa stays rooted on her spot, watching the road.

Her phone buzzed, finding a text from Segumi reminding her of their plan to buy something on the way home. Replying, Arisa looked at the road one more time.

 _He’ll be okay._ She assures herself.

Sighing, Arisa turns on her heel before walking away.

A figure watches her from a distance; she pretends not to see him and walks on.


	4. iii

**[iii]**

"Oops! Sorry!" Arisa 'accidentally' pushes Segumi forward, straight into Iwaizumi's chest. The unsuspecting spiky-haired teen manages to catch the brunette by her shoulders. Quickly after, the two broke apart, fumbling like idiots.

"A-Ah, sorry, Iwaizumi-kun!" Segumi stammered, face burning red.

"N-No, it's okay!" Iwaizumi assures, face equally red. Behind him – Matsukawa, Hanamaki, Oikawa – his teammates (and assholes he calls his friends) snicker at him, he sends them a glare. Clearing his throat, in an attempt to seem casual about the situation, he asks (while struggling to meet Segumi in the eye). "A-Are you okay, Tanaka?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you for the concern." She replies, righting her glasses. Iwaizumi works on a smile, cheeks still pink.

Inwardly, Arisa squealed. Really, these two lovebirds were so dense, yet so adorable to look at. If only they could just kiss already!

"Ah, Tanaka-chan, we were just talking about you!" Oikawa blurted, Iwaizumi tenses as he sends a (not-so-obvious) glare at the brunet.

Arisa and Segumi exchanged confused glances, before the latter smiles at the taller brunet. "Oh?"

Noticing his friend's scheme, the ace tries to smack Oikawa, to shut him up, when Hanamaki and Matsukawa restrain him, much to the confusion of Segumi.

"Yup! We were wondering," he started slow, to create tension, cheekily eyeing his best friend – who looked ready to murder him then and there. "if we could possibly share gyms?"

Segumi blinked, as did Arisa. Iwaizumi stopped squirming; Hanamaki and Matsukawa look like they were going to burst. "I mean, as captain of the girls' team, I have to ask  _ your _  permission if we could since our gym is under maintenance as we speak."

"Is that so?" the brunette hums in thought. "You can, but I have to talk to coach about this though."

The brunet mock sighed. "That's a relief! Thank you, Tanaka-chan!" Oikawa smiled 'gratefully' at her. Segumi was too nice to notice that there were a few tricks up the setter's sleeve, but it was fun to see him jest at his best friend with the girl he likes.

"You're very welcome, Oikawa-kun." Segumi replied, mirroring his smile, except hers, was an innocent and true. "But why ask me though? I know I'm captain, but issues like this should be addressed to the coach."

"We'd love to and all," Hanamaki answered, wrapping an arm around Iwaizumi's shoulders. Matsukawa mirrors his friend, monotonously answering. "But we're scared of Coach Yoshizawa."

Arisa snorted at that. "Really? For guys over six feet, you're scared of a woman in a tracksuit standing just five feet seven?"

As if choreographed, they all stared at her incredulously, the silence speaking for itself.

"Well Yoshizawa, you're her cousin, so it's kind of biased coming from you." Iwaizumi answered, unable to break free from Matsukawa and Hanamaki's hold.

"Plus, we thought we'd let you know first. Coach Yoshizawa can be really intimidating. She isn't called the 'Seijoh's Tigress' for nothing." Oikawa said in a matter of factually. Suddenly, his face lights up. "By the way Tanaka-chan, we heard that you got Arisa-chan to help you during practice?"

At this, Arisa's brows furrowed. It’s as if she wasn’t there!

"She is, but only until preliminaries." Segumi supplied, nudging her shoulders with the raven-haired teen. "After all, she is busy with her duties in the Press Club." Wordlessly, Arisa lifts her thumb up. "And there are a lot of holes I wish to fill in before I retire."

"You're so cute, Gumi-chan!" cooed Hanamaki at his childhood friend, pinching her cheeks. "Ah, and your hair looks cute today!” he noted her side-bun “That's my Gumi-chan!" Behind him, red returned to the ace's face out of jealousy. Arisa would just love to stay and enjoy poking at the two idiots, but she had somewhere to be.

"Okay, that's enough of that," she swatted the light-haired teen's hands away, allowing Segumi to rub at her cheeks. Hooking her arm around Segumi's, she announced that they were taking their leave now. "It's nice running into you guys, but we have to go."

"Where're you girls off to?" Matsukawa asked.

"Nothing that concerns you, boys," Arisa called over her shoulder as she and Segumi walk away, giggling among themselves.

"Girls are such a handful," Matsukawa notes.

Hanamaki nods in agreement. "Tell me about it, I grew up with them – Gumi-chan included."

"Oi, what's the big idea ganging up on me like that?" Iwaizumi burst angrily at the trio, his glare fixed on Oikawa, who had the gall to act innocent.

Tilting his head cutely, Oikawa smiled. "Oh? But all I asked was for them to share the gym!"

"Technically, Yoshizawa shoved Gumi-chan into Iwaizumi." Hanamaki adds, snickering at Iwaizumi. "My, Hajime-kun, whatever is going through that head of yours?"

Red in the face, Iwaizumi sputtered, Matsukawa and Hanamaki laughing at him. Meanwhile, Oikawa subtly glanced towards the retreating frame of Arisa and Segumi, watching them disappear into a sea of students. Her smile imprinted in his mind, never missing to make his heart skip.

 

…

 

"On your mark, get set, go!"

Arisa dashed, feet padding against the ground, swiftly coursing through the lane, the rest of the girls slacking behind her. Reaching the end line, sweating profusely, she lifts her shirts to wipe the sweat off. Their PE professor looked at his stopwatch, nodding before jotting notes on his clipboard.

"Not a bad time, Yoshizawa."

Arisa nods, grabbing a towel, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

"Too bad you didn't join any sports club, eh?"

She shook her head, disinterested. "If I do that, then it'll eat my precious leisure time."

A few girls were slowly coming in, panting, some on their knees, catching their breath. Scribbling some notes on his clipboard, the professor says with a slight smile. "Didn't stop you before."

Arisa shrugged, walking off towards the sink as their professor calls for the next group. Seeing that Segumi at the starting line, she waved, the brunette waved back.

Turning the tap, cool water gushed out; she watched the water flow, splattering against the tiles, before scooping a handful and splashing it all over her face. She did this several times, allowing water to cool her body. Scooping another cup, she brought it her mouth, relishing in the cool water running down her throat.

Satisfied, she turned the tap off, drying her face with her towel.

Deciding to head back, despite the background noise of students and whistle rings, Arisa's ears perked at the sound of giggling and hushed whispering.

" _Toru-kun, don't_!" came a girlish voice.

Her feet paused on its steps, blood running cold.

"Ah, Yuriko-chan's ticklish?"

She didn't mean to, but she saw them behind the building, fooling off. The chocolate brown-haired volleyball captain with one of his fans, a voluptuous girl with luscious dyed hair. Thankfully, they were too busy with each other to even notice her.

"Toru-kun, you're such a naughty boy," she says, wrapping her arms around his neck, finely manicured fingers gripping unto his hair. "what if we get caught?" her gaze carnal, voice soothing.

Chuckling, Oikawa leaned in, pushing her body against the wall as he held her chin. "Didn't stop you before, Yuriko-chan~"

And then, the two kissed – heatedly, with a bit of tongue. Disgusted, Arisa walked away, the image burning in her head, hating how it kind of hurt. She didn't know why she even watched the whole thing, why she even bothered.

Honestly, it's not the first time she happened upon it. Since their break-up, Oikawa's become extremely flirty with his fans, entertaining them in any way.

Somehow, it was like a slap to her face. After all, she was one of the many girls he had – she was the first. And that hurt.

"Yo Arisa."

Seeing a familiar brunette in front of her, she forced her mind to forget the earlier scene and greeted her friend. "Yo back at you."

Sitting next to her, she noticed a group of boys huddling over. "What's up with them?" A loud cheer broke out, a few giving out high-fives while the rest focused on whatever they were looking at. Arisa could only pick up words like, 'let's go!' 'seconds left!' before coming to a conclusion. "Oh right, eastern conference finals."

"Hm?" Segumi tilts her head in confusion.

"NBA." Arisa tells her, picking up her water jug. "American basketball."

"Ah, so that's why. Oda-kun took out his phone the moment he finished his laps, and it should make sense since he's in the basketball team."

"Phones aren't allowed in class, right?" Arisa raised a brow, turning to the group. Beyond them, students were still running laps – she could see Iwaizumi outrunning Hanamaki and Matsukawa with ease. (The look on Hanamaki's face was priceless)

"That's true," Segumi agreed, pulling her heels towards her pelvis, pressing her soles together, back straight. "but boys will be boys."

Arisa shot her friend a look, before rolling her eyes at her good-naturedly. "Always the optimist." Segumi merely smiled.

"By the way, I wanted to ask, how's the assignment for the sports coverage?"

She bit her lip, crossing her outstretched legs, tapping at her shoes. "Well–"

"Hey Yoshizawa!" someone called, cutting her off. Arisa twisted her head, meeting a smiling Sagara Katsuo, captain of the basketball team. "Couldn't help but hear you mention the eastern conference."

"Just barely," she muttered under her breath, something he didn't catch on, settling to lean back on her arms. Her brunette friend gave her a look, as if telling her to play nice.

"So I was wondering who's your bet?"

"Warriors, only because they've got good plays this season." She answered directly.

Sagara nodded, still smiling at her. "Smart choice, y'know, with Curry, Love, playing."

Arisa nods politely, avoiding his eyes that seem to appraise her. "I know, but Cavalier looks like a tough team to beat." At that, the boys burst again into cheers. She didn't want to be rude to the guy but she had to. She had to shoot down his chances as much as she can, because she clearly wasn't interested.

It was no secret that the basketball captain likes her, and he wasn't exactly being discreet about it. But Arisa didn't feel the same way.

Thankfully, the professor yells for Sagara, who makes his excuse, as he runs towards the track. With Sagara gone, Arisa sighed in relief. Segumi gave her a sympathetic look.

"The usual," she tells Segumi, finally answering her question in the middle of stretching routine, her chest almost brushing against the ground. The brunette turns to her, glasses slipping of her nose, before breaking into a grin.

 

…

 

As much as she hated being around her ex, it couldn't be helped as she was a photojournalist and editor for the school newspaper specializing in sports.

Most of the time, her editor-in-chief and moderator assign her to the volleyball team, much to Arisa's chagrin. Not that it couldn't be helped, the volleyball club has quite the reputation as one of the top teams in the prefecture.

She'd like to blame her parents for her upbringing – her dad, who used to be athlete in his younger years, and her mom, for wanting her daughter to stay fit and healthy – for all those summer sports clinics she attended as a kid. She lived for the thrill of the game, the kick of adrenaline in her veins, for stories of victories to be shared and told, which is why she took up photography. She knew she shouldn't complain, but it still seemed like a tall order.

"Studying already?" a familiar voice asked. Looking up, she was met with a russet pair of eyes belonging to a familiar ace.

"Hajime," she greeted rather loudly, earning a warning from the librarian. "Sorry," she called, turning back to the male. "Ah, yeah. Physics." She said simply, showing her textbook. "I suck at it, apparently. Which is ironic, considering that I'm in a college prep class."

"You need any help?"

Not only was Iwaizumi athletic, but he was also smart, a fact many tend to overlook. He was in a college prep class as well and excelled greatly in science and mathematics.

"I'm good, Segumi's tutoring me. In turn, I have to help her with her English" Suddenly an idea struck her. "I don't see your usual cahoots."

He merely grunted. "Got away from them when an opportunity came. Plus, I need to work on my homework, Physics, too."  _Chance!_

"Well, if that's the case, want to sit with us?" 

Scratching the back of his neck, the tall teen gave it a thought.

_Please say yes, please say yes, please say yes-_

"Sure, why not."

There was no escaping the light tint of pink on his cheeks, or the twitch of his lips to prevent the smile on his face, instead, he tried to look nonchalant. Arisa couldn't fault him and lead the way.

As they turned a corner by the periodicals, Arisa could see her best friend. Sitting just by the window was Segumi, who took off and wiped her glasses before putting them back on. "Arisa, you made it!" the brunette greeted with a smile, noticing that she wasn't alone – and realizing who it was, her smile grew. "and you brought Iwaizumi-kun." She bowed slightly to him.

"H-Hi Tanaka," The ace fidgeted, shifting foot to foot, a small tinge of pink on his tanned skin. "H-Hope I'm not intruding."

"No, please join us."

Arisa takes her seat next to her best friend, Iwaizumi settling to sit across them.

As they settled into their seats, Arisa noted a swift change between the two. In a quick second, their awkwardness was gone as they both began to help Arisa with her homework and the lesson – Segumi explaining the problem and Iwaizumi supporting her. It was too much. They were being helpful, but they were just too cute!

Iwaizumi seemed more than happy around them, most especially around Segumi – he even complimented Segumi's braid bun, which fascinated him as a guy. Every once in a while, he was stealing glances at her best friend; Segumi was too focused on her work to notice. (He wasn't very discreet. But Arisa was polite enough not to disrupt him)

Seeing that the two were hitting off, and finished with her homework and tutoring, she excused herself that she was going to get a book, flashing a quick wink to Segumi.

Well, not really an excuse, since she's been meaning to look more into the library's amazing collection of traditional photography, but she wanted to give the two time.

Arisa frowned at the looming corner of the Social Sciences and Humanities section, where the books about photography were found, seeing how dust lingered. "What a waste," she muttered, shoulders slumped. Reading the backbones, she reached for  _Setting Sun: Writings by Japanese Photographers_ , wiping the dust on its cover. Flipping to the back page, she read the borrower's card, seeing names of previous borrowers in the past years, but one name stood out – Ibara Jigou.

She closes the book, bringing it to her chest. A soft smile crossed her features along with memories of her childhood. Arisa hugged the book even as she stood up, mentally noting that she should update her godfather/mentor on her progress.

Reaching their table, Arisa found that there were three more people at their table, a sour expression on Iwaizumi's face as if frustrated at the presence of the three newcomers. Segumi, on the other hand, seemed alright, helping Hanamaki and Matsukawa with their homework, while Oikawa was 'blissfully' listens. Annoyed with the presence of the three, ruining what good chance between her sweet best friend and the volleyball ace, she all but sighed, walking along to her seat.

"Yo Yoshizawa!" Hanamaki greeted, lifting a hand as a greeting. "Sorry for barging in like this, but I needed help with my homework! And Gumi-chan's the only person I know who can help me!"

"And Iwaizumi." Matsukawa added, shifting his eyes to the spiky-haired teen, who grunts in response.

"No problem at all,” she forced a smile on. “but how did you know we were here?"

"Simple: this is Yoshizawa's favorite spot!"

Now that made her confused, she didn't really tell people about her preference sitting by the window.

"And where Arisa-chan is, Tanaka-chan is there as well!" Oikawa says cheerily.

A loud shush resounded, causing the teens to duck their heads, quieting down.

Seeing as Hanamaki stole her spot, and the only available seat was right next to Oikawa, almost made Arisa want to question their real motives. Both Hanamaki and Matsukawa were like foxes – sly and mischievous. They were the epitome of the phrase, 'double trouble'.

But instead of questioning, she quietly took her seat next to the brunet. She wasn't even surprised to find her things neatly set in front of her. Oikawa smiles at her, she simply nods.

"Oh? What's that you got there, Arisa-chan?" her seatmate asked curiously, peering over her shoulder.

"Just a photo book," she explained, putting her things in her bag. "and a bit of research."

Oikawa hummed, pulling back.

Sneaking a glance at Segumi, she looked unperturbed, but that was her default state, the girl had the patience of a saint. She patiently helped with Hanamaki and Matsukawa, Iwaizumi helping every once in a while. Oikawa would too, but not before explaining to it wrong that Iwaizumi had to smack him in the head.

Flipping her book open, Arisa lost herself to the photos – to the details, the lighting, and the story behind them. She took note of the techniques used – from lighting, camera angling, pose, and its composition. She was drawn to the photos, the smallest detail of the technique used.

"…Arisa was just telling me about Aoba Johsai's mascot." Segumi's sweet voice resounded, Arisa perked up at the sound of her name, momentarily forgetting her book.

"Mascot?" the ace tilts his head, the raven-haired teen shrugs.

"Do we even have a mascot?" asked Matsukawa.

"That's what I was thinking," Arisa couldn't help herself. "I know the school means 'west of Aoba castle', but it also means it's related to plants."

"Wow, Yoshizawa thought hard on this." Iwaizumi noted, leaning against his hand.

"Yeah, and with that in mind, I thought what if our school mascot could be Mother Earth or Poison Ivy from Batman. Then I got myself thinking, Segumi could be Poison Ivy and I could be Mother Earth."At that, Hanamaki and Matsukawa shared a look with Oikawa, erupting into snickers.

"W-Wha-?" Red colored Iwaizumi's face as inappropriate thoughts began to fill his head, of his crush donning Poison Ivy’s skimpy attire, showing off too much skin and her good physique. Segumi’s face burned red while the three were snickering in their seats.

Suddenly, Arisa's phone suddenly rang – the librarian angrily, loudly shushes – she quickly takes her phone from her pocket, surprised to see Tobio's mom calling. "Oh, excuse me, let me just take this call."

Walking away from their table, Arisa scurries to the nonfiction section. "Hello, Auntie?"

"Arisa-chan! Thank goodness!" came her Aunt’s voice, sounding exasperated, breathless, enough to make her worry.

"Is everything alright?"

"Everything's fine, dear! It's just that," on the other line, the woman sighs, a heavy one at that. "we have a situation, dear. Toshio has a meeting to attend to over the weekend in Tokyo, and I have this big event to cater to." She sounded really stressed, something that wasn't good for her health.

Arisa could imagine the woman biting her nails; she always did that when she was nervous. Tobio's parents were busy people, and his mother was particularly clingy to her only son. His (over)doting mother refuses to leave her son alone.

"I know it's asking much, but can you please watch over him over the weekend?" she asked, practically begging.

"This weekend?" she asked, mentally checking her plans. Seeing that she had nothing planned, she tells her aunt, "Of course I will, auntie."

She hears her sigh in relief. "Thank you so much dear, I knew I could always count on you."

Arisa says with a short laugh. "You're welcome."

A few minutes later, she was back to their table.

 

…

 

The next day, Arisa and Segumi were at the mall. Because she promised to help out, Arisa had to buy some sports gear; she didn't want to borrow from Segumi all the time. And as much as she could use her stuff from middle school, they just couldn’t fit her anymore.

Together, they entered a branded sports shop, browsing for a good few minutes – especially for shoes. Every once in a while, her face soured at the price of each item they came across with (thankfully, she has savings and her parents, grandfather and godfather love her).

"I'm so happy that you decided to help us, Arisa!" Segumi was practically bouncing, her Gundam keychain bouncing from her bag. "And on behalf of the team, I thank you!"

"You're lucky I do this for free," she skims through shirts, nudging the brunette's shoulder. "And because of the circumstances – Etsuko-nee's pregnant,  _you're_  the captain." She side-eyes her friend.

"Like I said, I didn't think I'd be captain!" she berates, playing with the ends of her hair of which she let loose after practice. "And for Coach to be pregnant, it's amazing! But…"

"But?" she repeats, putting back a neon bright shirt.

"I hear pregnant women can be cranky due to hormones and knowing Coach Yoshizawa’s usual disposition…I'm worried for the team, especially the underclassmen." Segumi's voice was soft, trembling at the last bit.

Arisa’s expression softened. "See, that's why you're fit to be captain," she looks at her, she looks back. "you put the team before yourself, their welfare is your topmost priority, which is also why you asked for my help."

“I guess…”

“Plus! the team trusts you, so that should speak plenty of why you were the best choice as captain.”

Her brunette friend sighed. Letting her words sink, Segumi’s lips slowly upturned, grateful.

"There's that smile!"

Eventually, they finish up shopping (Arisa, mostly), leaving the store the two began to exchange strategies and plays they could use during practice. As a middle blocker, Segumi was keen on working on the team's defense. Arisa second on that, stating that from the bottom-up, the receives should be worked on heavily.

"So long as you keep the ball from falling to the ground," she explained, plucking foundation from the display. "it's all that matters to keep the game playing."

"Now that I think about it, your strategy is similar to Nekoma's." Both Arisa and Segumi have never seen the said team in person, but have heard of their play style – solid receives and flexibility, both were Arisa’s strongest suit. "Given the circumstances, you would've been perfect to attend that school."

Arisa's face scrunched a bit. "Meh, Tokyo's too far. Plus, city life's pretty suffocating if you ask me." She puts the foundation on the basket, watching as Segumi eyes the makeup on display. "And I quit playing, remember?"

"That's true," she hummed, tucking loose strands of chestnut hair behind her ear.

"By the way, won't Naoki and Haruki mind you coming home a bit late?"

"Don't worry, I've already told them ahead of time. Plus, I also told them I won't be home for dinner." Finally deciding on a light pink lip balm, she turns to her friend. "Also, they're old enough to cook for themselves. I can’t always be the one they depend on."

"Well, aren't you big sister of the year?" they giggle before browsing to more make up. “Another reason you’re fit to be captain.”

On their way towards the exit, they happened upon a 50% off sale on makeup. Remembering that her stash was running low, she decided to do a bit more of shopping. Also, it was a sale.

"Well, if it isn't Gumi-chan and Arisa-chan!" a voice boomed behind them, wrapping an arm around their shoulders.

"Takahiro-kun!" Segumi turned to her childhood friend, surprised at the sight of him. Behind him were his usual cahoots – Matsukawa, Iwaizumi and Oikawa. Iwaizumi, in particular, was staring hard at Segumi. Oikawa has his eyes glued on to his phone.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked, breaking free from the wing spiker's hold, arms crossed.

"Eh, Oikawa said he had to buy something." He replies, offhandedly – earning a miffed reaction from his captain. Dropping his gaze on their basket, he notes their purchase. "Nice purchase, but you might want to consider buying a face mask while you're at it. Since you look like you need it, no offense."

"None taken." She replies, fetching for a face mask.

"Eyeliner's great and all, but if you really want your eyes to pop, you go for mascara." The teen furthers, taking a mascara brand, two of it, and drops it in the basket. "You're welcome."

The corner of her lips curling, staring at the light brown teen incredulously. "I'm surprised Hanamaki-san knows a thing or two about makeup and skincare."

"Heh, easy, my family owns a salon. And my big sis's a make-up artist; I pick up a thing or two."

"That must've worked on the ladies."

He shrugs, tightening his hold on his childhood friend. "Some and some think I'm gay for it." Matsukawa chortles. Turning to his captain, he tells him, "You're welcome, by the way."

Oikawa raises his thumb, humming happily. "I once tried to get Iwa-chan into it, but he thinks it's not manly enough and still, he ends up so flawless!" Iwaizumi rolls his eyes at his friend.

Discreetly, Hanamaki leans in to whisper, "Spoiler alert: Iwaizumi does face masks, just to humor his little sister. But don't tell him I told you!" Arisa laughs quietly, promising him with a wink.

After shopping, the group grabs ramen for dinner – Arisa salivating at the thought of beef ramyun. Hanamaki conveniently sandwiches his childhood friend and Iwaizumi, while Arisa sits between Matsukawa and Oikawa. The latter, she noticed, was no longer glued to his phone.

 

…

 

Standing in the gym, dressed in her new sports attire (from the bottom to the top), Arisa chewed her lower lip as her cousin explains the upcoming Inter-High Preliminaries. Much was to be expected, and a lot was at stake especially for third years. Coach Yoshizawa all but bluntly laid out that practice will be especially brutal (which is always, for the upperclassmen) if they want to make it to nationals. It might be the hormones speaking, but Arisa could be wrong.

Tilting her head back a bit, she eyed her cousin's stomach – flat. Figures, since she was just over four weeks when she announced her condition. Already, she was anticipating the crankiness from her usually stern cousin.

"Uh, some of you may have already known me, but for those who don't, I'm Yoshizawa Arisa, third year from class six. Yes, I'm related to coach." At this, the coach lifts her hand without looking her way. "And I'll be assisting the team for the practice games. I'll be in your care." She smiled that killer smile of hers (unknowingly), and already, more than half of the team loves her.

First order of business was fixing the team's sloppy receives. She had the regulars receive her serves. So far, it was Hinagiku, Segumi and Kaede who showed promise. The rest, not so much. The next few hours of practice were spent having them perfecting their receives.

For the following days, it was practice receives one day, and then practice serves the other. And like her cousin promised, practice was _brutal_. She only appeared thrice a week, having her own club activities to attend to, which in turn, wasn't that brutal.

She almost forgot how tiring it was to be in the sports club – having to attend both morning and afternoon practice – but at the same time, forgot how exhilarating it was. Hopefully, the practice will pay off during preliminaries. Arisa thanked the high heavens that they only asked her now to help them with the volleyball team.

 

…

 

Come Friday, Arisa couldn't be any happier; she had been looking forward to the weekend (as was every student)!

She decides to drop by Karasuno to pick Tobio up – who in turn, was overjoyed at the sight of his cousin – just as they were about to start their practice match with the Karasuno Neighborhood Association where she meets two other members of the team – Azumane and Nishinoya. She also met Coach Ukai – younger and a bit of a punk, a stark contrast to the fearless coach she was expecting and told from the stories of Tobio.

"Who's this?" Coach Ukai asked, pointing his thumb at her.

Bowing slightly, she introduced herself. "Good evening, my name is Arisa Yoshizawa, third year from Aoba Johsai and Kageyama Tobio's cousin. I apologize for intruding, but I hope you'll allow me to stay a while since I'll be watching my cousin for the weekend."

The blond man waved her off, telling her it was fine. Meeting their manager’s gaze, she greeted her with a slight smile and bow – she received the gesture in turn. She did the same with Professor Takeda.

"Arisa-san!" she jumped as two second years – Tanaka, she knew, the other, Nishinoya – greeted her, her bag in their hands. "We'll take your bags for you!"

"A-Ah…thanks."

Sitting on the benches, Arisa could see that the two members – Azumane and Nishinoya, were definitely pieces that were missing in the team – extra offense and defense. She could definitely see them making at the preliminaries. They were a delight to watch.

Unsurprisingly, it was easy to be around with everyone – especially Sugawara. He was just so nice, and gentle, and warm.

The two second years – Tanaka and Nishinoya, fawned over her a bit too much, making her uncomfortable. Thankfully, their captain, Sawamura, warded them off and apologized. Over a short period of time, she got to know the team a little, picking from their little quirks and noisy streak.

From there, her friendship with the team grew, most especially with a particular vice-captain.

Everyone in Karasuno was welcoming, warm; it made her happy and relieved to know that Tobio was in good hands, that he was making friends.

 

…

 

Arisa woke up, realizing it was way too early as the skies were dark outside. In addition, as she took in her surroundings, she had to remind herself that she was in Torono, her childhood town, not Aoba-ku. Reading the time from the clock across her, she cursed – it was the wee hours before dawn.

Hopping out of bed, she heads towards the toilet, splashing cold water on her face. Going back to the room, her eyes shifted on the calendar next to the wall clock, staring at it for a good second.

She then decides to take a jog, thankful to have packed her sports attire. Just before she leaves, she picks her camera.

Quietly leaving the house, the purple sky above her that littered with leftover stars seemed like a fair home greeting. Limbering, she enjoyed the familiar burn of her muscles, the cool morning air in her lungs, more so as she began to run.

As a kid, she used to run around the streets of Torono with Tobio and Takeru. Although the latter was physically weak, he never slacked behind and was usually assisted either by her or Tobio. There were fond memories of each place she passed by.

She almost forgot how much she loved this part of town, the steep roads, the cool air – she missed it.

Reaching the top of the hill, she stopped and admired the view, just in time to see the sun rise. She takes her camera and captures the moment. A sigh breaks out of her lips, watching as the skies paint orange – the beginning to a new day.

A lot was going through her mind – all of them important to her being as a person, but right now, just seeing the sun rise, faintly feeling the warmth of a new day – she found that nothing mattered more than this moment.

A new dawn. A new day. A new life.

Taking a deep exhale, Arisa then takes her phone, snaps one last shot of the sunrise before turning to leave. But she slams into something hard, her camera slipping off hands. Thankfully, a large hand captures it.

"I'm sorry." A deep voice says.

"No, it's okay." She looks up, meeting hard amber orbs, a _familiar_  pair of amber orbs from a sturdy, stoic-looking teen. Realization clicks. "Ushijima Wakatoshi."

Said teen cocks a brow, studying the female in front of her before familiarization dawns over him. "Yoshizawa Arisa."

She nods. "Fancy meeting you here." He was dressed in a track suit, something which shouldn't surprise her.

He hums, "My sentiments, exactly." Stiffly, he hands her camera back.

"Thank you, Ushijima-san." She takes her camera from him and tucks it in her bag. Arisa nods at him, taking her leave when Ushijima calls out to her.

"You've stopped playing volleyball?"

 _Ah, always the blunt one._  "I have for three years now." She says, looking over her shoulder.

He fixes his stare at her; something flickers in those hardened eyes of his as if trying to decipher her. "That's a waste, especially when you had so much potential."

She shrugged, kicking the dust from her feet. "That's what everyone told me. If you're going to lecture me on how much volleyball could've done more for me, you're three years too late."

Silence. His amber orbs hard on her grey-blue ones. "You're not prideful, you never were. But it was a waste."

Those words, the last time she's heard it, it was in middle school. Many mourned over her early retirement, even tried to persuade her to stay. "It was." Kicking off dirt, she meets his gaze, smiling softly. "But I don't regret leaving."

His expression doesn't change, but his posture seems to relax. A slight nod and soft were all she got, meaning he understood, just barely.

"Well then, see you later, Ushijima-san."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before anything else, yes, it's just been a week, but I've already written the outline and everything. All that's left is to fill in the holes. AND, this fic's been bugging me, and I sorta like this fic. So expect maybe quick updates.
> 
> For argument's sake: Arisa calls people by their first name if she's comfortable/really good friends with them. If not, she either adds -san or -kun. She's polite in her special way. (for more details about her, check my dA)
> 
> Yes, too much of the Seijoh dorks (that's what I call them) because I wanted to establish the kind of relationship Arisa has with them. And this is to prep up for the drama about to ensue. (Obviously, the prelim games)
> 
> Yes, Aoba-ku is a real place. I had to research on that (and was curious really). This fic took a lot of research, really. I haven't been writing for a while.
> 
> Thank you for all who liked, followed and reviewed! It means a lot to me, really.
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT


	5. iv

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> over 6, 700 words! Wow. Anyways, Yay! I finally updated! And it was a struggle because I jumbled with certain scenes that I want to put here, but I also remembered that this is a slice-of-life story.  
> Still, thank you for bearing with me and enjoy!  
> (Do lend me your thoughts after! :3)

**[iv]**

“A practice match?”

“Yeah.” The smell of curry filled the Kageyama household, making the younger boy’s mouth water. “We’re having it just after the training camp.”

“That’s cool,” she mulled, lowering the heat, leaning her back against the counter, to watch her cousin, who was looking over her photos in her camera. “which school?”

“Nekoma.” Arisa made a sound, rolling her eyes, something likened to a scoff and snort.

At that, Tobio looked up. “Is something wrong?”

Arisa waved it off, seeing the look on her cousin’s face. “No, I just remembered something. My best friend, Segumi, once mentioned that had things been different,” she shrugged offhandedly, tucking her hands behind her, watching the ceiling absentmindedly. “if I didn’t decide to quit volleyball, I’d have been perfect for Nekoma.”

Tobio was silent, watching his cousin carefully. The expression on her face was almost wistful, eyes faraway. “That’s true, I mean, nee-san’s strength always lied with flexibility and strategy. You’d be hard to beat on court.”

Shifting in his seat, he ran his thumb through the controls of her camera, pressing on the button absentmindedly, flashing a photo of a sea of clouds, surrounding the area, the sun painting the skies, marking a new day – it was probably taken from one of her travels over the break. He stared at it for a good minute, admiring the photo.

He didn’t know how long he stared before a bowl of steaming hot curry was placed in front of him, with egg on top – just the way he likes it. Immediately, his mouth watered, his stomach growling. Across him, his cousin was settling in her seat, her own bowl of curry in front of her.

“You would be, too. Hard to beat, I mean.” She tells him in a matter factually, a small smirk on her face. Steam rises from their bowls, he follows them with his eyes, swirls dancing in the air. “Well then, shall we eat?”

Together, they said their grace and ate, conversing every now and then – Arisa, would ask him about school and volleyball. He replied as best as he could – meaning, as blunt as he can be. She felt, that with each information she was got, adds a bit of relief that he was faring well in his new school.

In turn, Tobio would ask about school and club activities. He even asked about the photo he saw on her camera earlier. Arisa didn’t hesitate to fill him in about it – a three-day hike at Mt. Izumigatake, Tobio listened intently.

Tobio loved his cousin, he was thankful to have been blessed to have her in his life.

She meant the world to him; she was always supporting him, caring for him, guiding him – she was like the sister he never had.

He owed her a lot in his life. He couldn’t imagine being where he was now if she wasn’t around.

 

…

 

Before she went back home in Aoba-ku, Tobio had given Arisa a succulent for her birthday, which was just days away and during the training camp he’ll be attending. She was delighted, touched at the thought. At the time, the two made a quick stop at a local shop after visiting her brother’s grave, as they shared birthdays.

On her way home, a thought came to mind before Arisa found herself rummaging through her closet. She had to pull her clothes aside before she was met with a pile of boxes, all filled with her godfather’s old National Geographic subscriptions.

Tucked in between these large boxes was a white paper bag that was almost a year old, a gift from Segumi last Christmas. Arisa smiled as she picked it up, carefully taking the item from the bag – a Bulbasaur pot, perfect for the succulent Tobi gave her.

Satisfied with her search, she was just about to close her closet when her eyes caught sight of a familiar navy-blue object. One she hasn’t seen in forever. It was folded neatly on top of a box, tucked to the far side.

She didn’t know what came to mind before her body made motion for it. Stretching her body forward, her fingers curling at the material of the object, before grabbing it by the sleeve.

Slowly pulling it out, she laid it out before her – the imprinted number staring at her.

 

…

 

_“Arisa, there you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere!”_

_She jumped at the sound of his voice, putting a smile on her face. “Ah, Toru.”_

_He frowned, noticing her strange aura. “Is something wrong?”_

_“Yeah, um…” in hand was her new jersey, the number one imprinted on it with a line underneath. She fingered through the material, staring at the number. “it’s still a surprise for me. Being captain and all.”_

_His face lit up, wordlessly taking her in for a hug, twirling around happily._

_“Put me down, you dork!” she laughed, embarrassed._

_“Why didn’t you tell me?”_

_“We weren’t exactly friends, Toru.” she pointed out, poking his nose. He stuck his tongue out childishly. “I don’t know if it was the right choice.” She breathed, bringing her jersey to her face. “I always get a foul or two for my bad behavior. I don’t want to let the team down. Just, what did they see in me?”_

_Oikawa watched the girl in front of him, regarding the look of doubt on her face. Without a word, he grabs her jersey and puts it on her. “Woah, it looks good on you!”_

_She rolls her eyes at him, freeing her hair. “It’s been the same jersey for years!”_

_“Yeah, but does it have a line underneath it?” he counters, silencing her. Getting behind her, he wraps his arms around her waist, tucking his chin on her shoulder. “Captain Arisa Yoshizawa.” His hands find hers, threading his fingers in hers. “Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?”_

_Watching the number on her jersey, at the line underneath, a slow smile found its way on her lips. She giggled, letting him kiss her face. “Dork.”_

 

…

 

“Bork!” a ball of fluff which was the family dog – Nagasaki, a corgi – popped in front of her.

“Nagasaki!” she squealed in surprise, laughing as the ball of fluff licked her face. “You big ball of floof.” Arisa scratches the behind of his ear, just the way he likes it.

“Arisa!” her mom called, knocking at her door. “Your bath’s ready!”

“Okay.” She called back, putting the dog on the ground and throwing her old jersey on her bed.

 

…

 

Three weeks until Inter-High Preliminaries and already, Arisa wished she should stop binge watching series and get herself a good night’s sleep. It’s been a struggle, and she’s been late to class a lot lately, thankfully, she doesn’t get detention. She doesn’t need it, especially when she’s got a lot of things up her plate.

Yawning, she received a frown from Segumi.

“Close your mouth when you yawn, Arisa.” she reproaches, as they settled in their seats.

Arisa chuckled. “Yes, mother. I’m sorry.”

The brunette shakes her head, unwrapping her bento box, Arisa mimics her. Today’s lunch was egg rolls, fish and broccoli, all courtesy of her grandfather’s cooking. It was a pale contrast to Segumi’s character bento, which she made herself.

“Wow, it’s so cute!” one of her teammates cooed.

“Way to go, captain!” another second, coming from Hinagiku.

“You seriously have way too much time in your hands,” Arisa says as she steals a piece before Segumi could stop her.

Pushing her glasses back, Segumi shrugs. “It’s a habit, I can’t help it!”

“Not that I’m complaining, but they’re sometimes so aesthetically pleasing that I end up not wanting to eat it lest I ruin its beauty and your effort.” Segumi laughs, nearly dropping her chopsticks. “Very photo worthy.”

Rolling her eyes, good-naturedly, she tells her friend off. “Just eat your food, Arisa.”

“Yes ma’am.”

Clasping her hands together, she says her grace before taking a bite of her lunch.

It wasn’t everyday she’d eat at the cafeteria, Arisa rather enjoyed being outside. But lately, she’s been with the girls’ team, considering that she was helping them with practice. It was a nice change, being in the cafeteria – it was so gray, yet so full of life. It was like looking through the lens of a monochrome photo. Still, she missed her peace and the vibrant colors outside these four walls.

Spotting her cousin, she nudged at her best friend, gesturing with her chin. Coach Yoshizawa was with Coach Mizoguchi, whom Arisa knew was her ex-boyfriend when they were her age.

“It’s kinda weird seeing them together sometimes.” She shrugged, watching the two laughs at some joke. For some reason, her cousin seemed to glow more than usual – _it was probably the pregnancy_ , she thought.

Segumi shakes her head. “Only you think that,” it was almost a singsong. “By the way, how was the workshop?”

During Golden Week, Arisa grabbed the opportunity to get the members of the club – specifically, the documentation team – to join a photography clinic.

Arisa’s mentor, who was her mother's best friend and her godfather, gave her the opportunity to improve her photography, having worked in a sports magazine. It was because of him that she could earn for herself, she simply sent an article or photo every month. And with his help, Arisa was able to get them to join the photography clinic for a week in Tokyo.

As she explained, Kaede’s – the team’s vice-captain, voice rang. “Hey look, it’s Hanger-san!”

Arisa snorted at that, breaking into fits of chuckles.

“’Hanger’?” Suzuna, a second-year setter, frowned in confusion.

Arisa chuckled even more, shoulders shaking.

“Yeah, apparently, it’s Oikawa-san’s new nickname.” Kaede explained, watching as their topic of interest purchased his lunch, his best friend behind him. “When the boys buy their jersey, it comes with Oikawa-san’s close-up photo in a hanger, thus, ‘Hanger-san’!”

A loud smack resounded in their table, everyone looked to find the raven-haired girl’s head pressed against the table, shoulders shaking while she broke into fits of laughter.

Alarmed, Segumi picked her friend up, attempting to calm her down amidst the stares they were getting. “Arisa!”

She only laughed harder, tears leaking from her eyes. “H-Hanger…!” she wheezed, clutching her stomach.

“Might I remind you that you were the one who took that photo?” Segumi tells her, helping her friend up, who couldn’t stop laughing, her cheeks turning red.

After a while, Arisa finally calmed down, wiping the tears from her eyes. She apologized to the team, smirking when she met Kaede’s eyes. Segumi frowned at them both.

Finally, able to breathe, Arisa impishly shares. “Hey, I didn’t know they’d use my photos for a dumb marketing strategy.”

“Just finish your food, Arisa.”

Arisa’s reply was picking her chopsticks and finishing her meal, like an obedient child.

“Nee-chan!” two familiar voices chirped at their table, making both Segumi and Arisa look up.

“Naoki, Haruki,” Segumi greeted her younger siblings, the same time Arisa blatantly tells them: “You gotta be more specific,” while popping a piece of broccoli and egg roll in her mouth.

Haruki clears his throat, he and his twin gesturing towards the raven-haired teen. “ _Arisa-_ nee-chan.”

She lifts her chopsticks in acknowledgement, much to Segumi’s disgust. “What’s up?”

Smiles plastered on the twins’ faces – as if excited, glancing up to meet their older sister’s look – Arisa didn’t notice this, taking a moment to scan the twins’ face, deciphering what their smiles mean, oblivious to the movement from their table.

And then they gushed about their amazing experience at the photo clinic last week. For the duration of Golden Week, Arisa took the documentation team to a photo clinic in Tokyo, sponsored by her godfather’s company. They were rather having an animated discussion, enough for Arisa to be caught up.

Before she knew it, the twins took out a small cake (from god knows where), together, along with the everyone in their table (members of the volleyball team) they were singing ‘happy birthday’, a small banner held by Hinagiku and another freshman, and small gift boxes on their hands.

“Aw, you guys!” she cooed, covering her mouth. “Well, technically, my birthday was last week. It’s not a big a deal.”

“What are you talking about? Of course, it is!” cried Kaede with a smile.

She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. “You guys are so cute,” she smirked, staring at the cake – it was Pokémon-themed, unable to help herself, she takes a photo of it and expresses her gratitude to the team. “Thanks you guys, I appreciate it.”

 

…

 

Later that day, as Arisa was about to head home, she was in for a surprise when she found a small package sitting inside her shoe locker. Confused, she looked around, anyone who might have gave it to her, before returning at the foreign object.

When she got home, she set her other gifts aside and attended to the gift from earlier, curiosity getting to her. Once unwrapped the gift – she stopped at the sight of a small wooden box nestled in tissue paper. Taking the box in her hands, she ran her thumbs on its lid, admiring the design. Judging from its look, it was probably bought from an antique shop.

Opening it, a slow melancholic tune starts to play, filling her room with a certain melancholy, hopefulness and dreaded nostalgia – her heart skips a beat at the tune being played.

She recognizes that tune, remembers exactly where it was from. And engraved on the inside lid was the title of the song, the date of her birthday underneath.

There was only one person who knew how much she loved this song.

A wave of emotions rushed through her, memories flashing before her eyes.

Closing the box, she screwed her eyes shut while letting out a shaky breath.

And then her phone buzzed. Putting the box aside, she reached for it, and found a text, unsurprised at who it was.

 

 

 

> **TO: Arisa**
> 
> **FROM: Oikawa**
> 
> Belated happy birthday
> 
>  

…

 

“Alright ladies, we’ve got only three weeks until preliminaries and god knows how long until this baby pops out.” Despite her usual manner of speaking, the team – especially the upperclassmen and Arisa – couldn’t help but worry about the ‘pops out’ part. Coach Etsuko was now over six weeks, her belly beginning to show, as is her (more than usual) temper. “So, until then, you’re going to have to give me everything you’ve got starting _now_.” her cold gaze locks into each of the members – regular or not, sending a shiver down their spines (save for Arisa) “Got it?”

“Yes, coach!” the team cried.

Coach Yoshizawa smirked, satisfied. “Good,” blowing on her whistle, she barks “NOW GET TO IT!”

Bent on making it to the nationals, Coach Yoshizawa re-introduced the team to her combat mind-set module. Arisa helped with a couple of drills, even joining in to encourage the team and show her support.

Practice worked on their drills and combination plays. Every practice always had a match, where the losing team had to do fifty serves. It was grueling, unforgiving, but all that they needed to make it to nationals.

Now she understands why her cousin earned her nickname; she was a tigress alright – snuffing out the fear and roaring at anyone who showed even a single ounce of weakness. But the school’s a powerhouse, producing high caliber teams enough to make it to the top in the prefecture.

Using her shoulder, Arisa wiped the sweat off her face as she watched the game play, eyeing the ball bounced around, seeing an opportunity, she yelled, “Left!”

“Arisa-san!” Suzuna tossed the ball to her, realizing her mistake shortly after.

Despite knowing that three blockers were coming, Arisa ran anyway, and jumped. At the last second, she sharply twisted her shoulders, the ball cutting through, earning the winning point for her team.

Coach Yoshizawa smiled, the rest of the team were in awe.

“So cool…”

“That is one crazy cut shot.”

“Nice one, Arisa-san!” Suzuna approached the older teen.

“Eh, but I heard a pop,” shuddered Tsukasa, third-year wing spiker and team ace. “are you alright?”

“Yeah, I am.” Turning to the setter, she raises a hand in the air. “Nice toss, Suzuna.”

The surprise wipes off her face as setter slaps her hand, smiling.

“And that’s the match,” smiles their manager, jolting down on her clipboard. “Alright, fifty serves for the losing team!”

A chorus of ‘yes’ was her reply, the losing team already picking up balls and practicing their serves. On the other side, liberos were practicing their receives, the winning team acting as ball boys (or girls for that matter).

That was how brutal practice was now.

“Hey, Arisa…” Segumi walks up to her, a ball in hand.

Looking away from the court, she turned to her best friend, tugging on the towel around her neck, noticing the apprehensive look on her face. “What’s up, Gumi?”

Wrapping her arms around the ball, Segumi timidly asks. “Help me practice?”

“Right now?” the brunette nods. “I already asked Coach and promised that I’ll close up. So please?”

Arisa gave this a thought, not a second later, she complied with her request. “Sure.”

After quickly taking their things from the clubroom, the two walks back to the gymnasium, putting their things aside and setting up gear.

“Toss for me?” Segumi tosses the ball to her.

Arisa rotated the ball in her hands, feeling the smooth surface of it. “Sure,” she smiles slightly. “But don’t overwork yourself, okay?”

“Got it.”

Tossing the ball back to her, Segumi jogs to the end line, takes a deep breath, before tossing it back to her. Arisa was quick to respond, squaring her body with her hands extended above her. Just as the ball made contact and the toss goes up, Segumi’s already running and jumping for a spike. The ball cuts through the other side, landing with a loud smack.

“How was the toss, Gumi?”

Pausing on her steps, she says simply. “A bit higher next time?” Arisa replied with a thumb up.

Arisa was pretty much an all-around player – able to block, attack, receive and set. But when it came to setting, she wasn’t as good as her cousin or ex, she was an average setter.

Taking another ball from the cart, Segumi once again takes a deep breath, meets Arisa’s gaze before tossing the ball to her, runs and jumps for a spike. Sometimes, she works on her straights and crosses. And sometimes, Arisa notices her try to make a cut shot, she makes no comment about it though. They do this a couple of times as each ball taken eats away into the night.

From her palm, the ball flies off the air right into Segumi’s hand, smacking it hard before it launches to the other side.

“…and that makes twenty.” She calls out, watching the last ball land on the other side. Arisa watches her friend catch her breath, her hands on her knees, taking her glasses off. "Okay, that's enough."

Even with her head low, she nodded. Arisa frowned, picking a ball from the ground and tossing it to the cart before walking up to her friend. "Segumi-"

"I'm okay…" she assures her friend, wiping the sweat off her face before putting her glasses back.

Arisa’s frown deepens but says nothing, only helps her up. “C’mon, up you go.”

Balls were scattered on the other side of the court, Segumi noted. She takes hold of the cart, gesturing with her head. “I’ll just put these balls away then.”

Arisa nods, her expression softening. “We’ll put the net away. I’ll just buy you a drink.”

“No, you don’t need to- “

But Arisa was already running towards her bag, taking a few coins from her purse. “Yes, you do.”

Knowing there was no point arguing, Segumi gave up – smiling defeatedly while shaking her head – the brunette making a small noise, brushing her sweaty bangs away.

Grabbing her jacket and her phone, she runs off. “I’ll be right back then.”

Jogging towards the door, Segumi called out to her. “Chocolate milk or green tea, okay!”

She rolled her eyes, knowing Segumi wouldn’t see her. “Yeah, yeah.”

The stars glistened like jewels above her, aptly reminding Arisa that they had been practicing for a while. Well, Segumi was practicing and she was simply helping. Almost nobody was left in the campus, that’s for sure. Probably. It wasn’t even that late.

Stopping in front of the vending machine, Arisa punched at the buttons of her selected drinks, waiting for the familiar dunk. For some reason, she found herself staring at her palm – at the pads, calluses, feeling a strange sensation pulsing through her fingers.

Closing her fists, she knelt to grab her drinks only to stop, finding herself staring at both her palms. Shutting her eyes, she tipped her head back, feeling the cold wind brush through before grabbing the drinks and jog back to the gym.

Hearing the smacking and squeaking from inside, Arisa walks faster, worrying for her best friend when she saw a figure standing outside the gym. A tall, muscular, familiar figure, peeking inside and he seemed to be watching with great interest.

“Yo, Hajime.”

The said lad visibly tenses, turning to meet her. “Yoshizawa, yo.”

Stopping just by the foot of stairs, she stared, momentarily reading him. “What are you doing here?”

“I could be asking you the same thing,” he says, adjusting his bag strap on his shoulder as he looked at her. “it’s after hours, what are you _still_ doing here?”

“Not my idea.” Arisa shrugs, defensive. “Just doing a favor for a friend.”

Iwazumi takes this into consideration. “I see.” Nodding, he then noticed the drinks in her hands. “Are those for Tanaka?”

“Yeah,” though she wasn’t sure which Segumi would want (neither does she).

Iwaizumi returns his gaze inside, after hearing a resounding smack. “She’s overworking herself, Yoshizawa.” he lets out a gruff sigh.

Again, Arisa shrugs offhandedly, but even he could see the worry on her face. “I know, but it was her idea.”

“You could’ve had a say in it.” There was that mom tone of his, reprimanding and firm and caring all at once. Kind of hard to think that this is the same power ace of the boys’ volleyball club.

“She can’t help it, she just wants to be enough.” She takes a step forward, peeking inside, watching her best friend clutch a ball in hand, not doing anything with it except presses her forehead against it, as if in thought. “Also, Segumi has a certain weakness – since her captaincy, she wants to embody being the pillar of the team, wants to better herself for the team. The flipside is, she doesn’t want to show her weakness to anyone, thinks it’s one less problem to worry about.”

“Almost reminds me of a certain someone.” He murmured, though Arisa didn’t reply immediately.

Instead, she wordlessly shoves the drinks in his hands and pushes him inside. The spiked-haired teen looks at her in bewilderment, eyes wide in shock. “Yoshizawa!?”

"I have an important call to take!" she lies with a wink, giving one more push before Iwaizumi is a few feet away from her. The squeaks of his shoes alarm Segumi, who looks up, surprised at the sight of the spiky-haired teen. "Iwaizumi-kun?"

“Y-Yo, Tanaka.” He greets back, fixing himself as the bespectacled girl approaches.

Arisa giggled from her spot, watching the two.

Just watching the two interact has always been the cutest thing – she could see the surprise in Segumi’s face when she sees Iwaizumi, who’s probably blushing, and explaining to her the situation. Her best friend nods in understanding.

Before long, the two engage in a conversation, probably regarding her overworking herself judging by Iwaizumi’s body language and Segumi’s guilty expression. Not long after, Iwaizumi’s body relaxes as he offered the drinks to her best friend. Segumi reaches for the two drinks, deciding on which, before deciding for green tea and offers the chocolate drink to the taller boy. Clearly not expecting that, but not wanting to be rude, he takes the drink.

Shortly after, they talk a bit, as Iwaizumi helps her clean up the balls. It’s not like her to spy on people like this, but she can’t help it. Really, those two were so cute together.

“Don’t think too hard, Tanaka. You’re doing just fine. Remember: volleyball’s all about teamwork – there are six people playing, it’s not only you who’s fighting.” She hears him say, bringing a smile to her face and a small, delighted, sound from Segumi. Despite his tough exterior, he sure was a nice guy.

“Arisa-chan?” a voice calls behind her, stopping her cold.

Oikawa _._

 _Damn it!_ If he’s here, then everything will be ruined – Segumi and Hajime were hitting it off!

Without thinking, she grabs Oikawa by the wrist, dragging him behind her and away from the gym.

When they were far enough, Arisa lets go and sighs, resting her back against the wall, nearly forgetting the brunet’s presence.

Oikawa chuckled, slowly walking up to her. “If you wanted some alone time with me,” his voice low, putting his hands on either side of her, caging her in. “You could have just asked.”

“Don’t be so full of yourself, Oikawa.” She spat hotly, glaring with her arms crossed. “I was doing a favor for a friend.”

Unperturbed, he hummed, taking strands of her hair. “Tanaka-chan’s lucky to have you as her friend,” Arisa held her breath as he kissed her hair, hating the fact that he knew she was watching. “as I am with Iwa-chan.” Letting her dark strands slip off his fingers, he looked her in the eye, brown eyes glinting darkly. “Hey, if they hit it off, why don’t we go on a double date?”

Her face scrunched for a second. “No thanks.”

“How cold, Arisa-chan!” Oikawa pouted childishly, jutting his lower lip out.

“Don’t you have a girlfriend?”

“She broke up with me.” He says lightly, inching closer.

“That’s not surprising.”

He chuckled, darkly. “Actually, _I_ broke up with her.”

“That’s also _not_ surprising.” He’s dangerously close, but Arisa maintains her composure – hardening her glare – which proved to be quite the struggle. “At all.”

His crestfallen face catches her off guard, smiling sadly at her. “Always hurting my feelings, Arisa-chan.”

Almost, caught her off guard. She looks away, disliking the way her name sounded from his mouth, grounding out “Stop calling me that.”

But Oikawa heard it. He chuckled darkly, tracing his fingers along her cheekbones, leaning dangerously close. “ _Arisa,”_ a shiver ran through her spine, she cursed mentally. “Would I rather I call you that?”

Gently, he cups her face to his, their noses bumped against each other as he leaned in closer, a hairsbreadth away. His hot breath mixing with hers, making her dizzy. Those brown eyes of his were drowning her, taking her deep. “ _Arisa…”_

Swallowing hard, she watched with bated breath as he drew closer. She knew that if she gave in, he'd win again. Like always. It was a fact that he still knew her – knew how to get her, knew which buttons to press, knew how to turn the tide, knew  _her_.

Yet, like always, she didn’t care as she allowed their lips to meet. He slants his lips over hers; the gentleness of his kisses never fails to catch her off guard.

In a matter of seconds, his hands were on her hips, digging into her clothes, drawing her to him. Arisa’s hands carded through his hair, dragging her nails through his scalp just the way he liked it.

Taking a hold of her thighs, he hoisted her against the wall, breaking away to lavish her neck. Arisa bit down her lip, leaning her head back to give him more access to her neck, trapping moans of pleasure down her throat.

As he attended to her neck, she can’t help but think of why it always ends like this. How she always falls for his tricks. At one point, he grinds on her, feeling the strain beneath his clothes, Arisa let out a whimper.

Finding her lips, he traps her sounds of pleasure, molding and meshing their lips together as the heat continues to build up between them.

The sound of a phone ringing, she recognized it as hers, halted their ministrations – breaking her from the pleasure she nearly let herself fall into.

Pushing him away, Arisa was on the ground – out of breath, flushed, hair messed up more than usual and _ashamed_.

Before a word was spoken, she left.

It was always like this.

 

…

 

At night, during the hours where sleep was just impossible, she’d look at the music box on her side table, reach for it and let it play. It didn’t exactly help her sleep, but it did make her happy, even for a while. And on some occasions, has brought her to tears – quiet tears, as they slip down her face without her knowledge.

She could still remember the brush of hands, the soft giggles in a quiet room, the warm hugs, the hushed phone talks, the soft look in his eyes when he told her his heart’s desires.

Lying on her bed, she turned to her side, just staring at the music box – watched the mechanism turn, the song filling her quiet room – as she hummed along.

With the tranquil atmosphere wrought by the night, and the melancholic melody playing, Arisa slowly slipped into slumber, unaware of the tear slipping down her face.

 

…

 

“Nee-chan, it’s huge!” exclaimed Naoki, looking around the Sendai Gym in childlike wonder, together with the other freshmen.

“It sure is,” Arisa says yawning, reading the bracket on board as the underclassmen ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ at their surroundings.

Because she was a sports writer for the school paper, she was mostly assigned to cover the volleyball team’s matches. So, at times she'd ride with either team to their games depending on where they played. Luckily, both teams played at the Sendai.

Three years of covering the volleyball matches, and under the tutelage of her godfather, has made her a veteran. “Be careful not to get lost, okay? Stick with your seniors.”

“Okay!” they cried in unison, all too cheerily.

“Ah, and if you do get lost, you could always call me through your phones, or Toudou.” She gestured at the second year, who assigned to the swimming event.

“Okay!” they cried again, all too cheerily yet again.

She let out an exasperated breath, frowning slightly. Really, it seemed like they were on a field trip than an assignment.

Since the games wouldn’t start just yet, she lets the group relax, reminding them to come to the games approximately 10 minutes before they start. Arisa decides to give them a sort of assignment – specifically, for the new members – which was to simply familiarize the Sendai City Gymnasium.

Arisa then separates from the group, deciding to check on the girls’ volleyball team, wanting to check up on them and wish them luck, but mostly, to get a pregame interview.

Making a turn, rounds of murmurs filled the room, but her attention was elsewhere, not noticing a nearing presence of a team in all black. Before then, one of them accidentally run into her, landing exactly between her chest. Momentarily shocked, Arisa didn’t have time to react.

“Do you want to die, idiot!?” her cousin’s angry voice roared. “That’s my cousin!”

Pulling away, Hinata’s face burned red, repeatedly bowing at her apologetically. “Y-Yoshizawa-san! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry! I’m so sorry!”

“N-No, it’s okay!” she says, putting a hand on her cousin, holding him back. “I should have been paying attention to my surroundings.”

Standing next to his cousin, the setter grumbles under his breath, telling her to be more careful, never lifting his murderous glare off Hinata. Arisa smiles at his concern.

“Ah, Yoshizawa!” cried Sugawara, the Karasuno team behind him. She lifted a hand in greeting, the incident long forgotten. “What are you doing here?”

The corner of her mouth lifted. “I’m here to cover the games.” she explained, showing her Press IDs with pride.

“I see, so that explains the camera then.” Professor Takeda noted, recalling the first time he met her. Arisa drops the IDs, they fall against her chest.

“That’s so cool!” Nishinoya cried enthusiastically.

“I didn’t know you were so talented,” Sawamura noted.

“But wait, aren’t you from Seijoh?” inquired Tanaka, looking behind her. “Where’s the rest of the team?”

“The Press Club has to come early,” she explained, adjusting the strap of her camera bag. “it’s part of journalism ethics. But on some occasions, we share a ride with the girls’ or boys’ team. Thankfully, they always, _always_ have the same location for their games. And we have some first years, and I’d like for them to be familiar with their surroundings so they wouldn’t get lost.”

“That makes sense,” Azumane says.

“Where’s nee-san off to?” Tobio inquired, turning to her.

“To check on the girls’ team, just some routine pre-game interview.” She replied. Suddenly, her eyes widen by a fraction when she remembered something. “By the way, what time’s your first game?”

“Probably at around 10?” Sawamura replied.

Arisa takes out her phone, checking the time. “Got it, I’ll be sure to catch it. For the meantime, go win some, okay?”

Tobio’s grin widened – his best attempt to grin, excited to have his cousin watch him. It was a simple cheer from her, but it meant a great deal to him and the team. Everyone smiled as well, determination burned in their eyes. Unable to help herself, she captured this – using her phone.

 

…

 

As much as she enjoyed the Inter-High Games – watching the games play, feeling the adrenaline rush in the air, the excitement – she also hated being there. For some reason, something bad always, _always_ happened to her.

Arisa was frowning when the Karasuno team found her and half-wet too. It was just minutes before the match, and the team was just heading off to the court when they found her.

"Nee-san, what happened to you?" a panicked Tobio asked, frantically approaching his cousin. He, along with a few others swarmed around her, worry on their faces. Shimizu quickly handed her a towel.

"Well, I decided to have a quick check on one of the freshmen who was covering the swimming event, keeping a respectable distance, when one of the swimmers decided to impress me with some kind of form.” She explained angrily. “Of course, with the prick that he was it was bound to fail, but _no_ ,” she drawled, shaking her head dramatically “it didn't end there, it ended with him splashing a huge wave over me. And because I had my camera, I turned around to prevent it from being wet.” Her dark hair was bunched into a messy bun, but it still stuck everywhere since it was slightly wet. “Now, my backside's pretty wet." She was shivering a bit, due to her now chilly state and of the air-conditioning.

Suddenly, something warm was wrapped around her shoulders – something black and warm.

"Here," said Sugawara, gently putting his jacket on her. "you can borrow my jacket."

“Sugawara-san!” Tobio cried at his senior’s actions.

"Are you sure?" she asked, relishing in its warmth, blushing a bit.

“Sure! It looks like you’ll need it.”

Exchanging looks with her cousin, she had no choice but to oblige. Slipping her arms into the sleeve, Sugawara’s jacket made her feel small for obvious reasons, she had to pull up the sleeves. “Thank you.”

The younger lad turned to his senior, bowing gratefully. “Thank you very much, Sugawara-san!”

“No problem!” Sugawara smiled. She really liked that smile.

“Yoshizawa,” Shimizu called, looking slightly guilty. “I would’ve lent you my extra clothes, but I haven’t brought them with me.”

“No, it’s okay.” She tucked her hand in its pockets. “This is more than enough. Thanks for the offer though, Shimizu-san.” Returning to Sugawara, she promises to return his jacket after his games.

“Hinata-kun, are you alright?” she turned her attention to the orange-haired boy, forgetting the incident earlier entirely. “It is your first official match, after all, right?”

“Ah, yes!” he replied, keeping a respectable distance especially when her cousin was still sending him a warning glare. “Everyone helped me with a sort of warm up exercise to calm my nerves.”

“That’s good to hear.”

After all, his performance during the practice match with her school was such a disaster that she almost thought he was a lost cause. Thankfully, he got through it with the help of her cousin.

Seeing that she still had time, she stayed with the team before they head into the court. Arisa found herself conversing with the gray-haired teen.

It came as a shock as to why after being a regular player for so long, even being the team's vice-captain, he'd prefer being benched and overshadowed by his junior. But if it were for the team, if it would mean bringing glory back to Karasuno, he'd take it, he said with utmost conviction. He was so sincere, so genuine in his stance.

Before she could stop herself, she leaned in and pecked his mole. The action caught everyone off guard, especially the gray-haired teen. Arisa giggled, digging her hands into the pockets. “That’s for good luck. Go win some, okay?”

It seemed she had a thing for setters.

 

…

 

Karasuno had played outstandingly against Tokonami and Date Tech. And every time they played, she never failed to capture her cousin and Hinata’s infamous ‘god-like quick’, she almost forgot to cover her own school’s plays!

But for all their feats, their dynamic as a team, it just wasn’t enough.

Karasuno had lost to Aoba Johsai.

For all the team’s remarkable feat against Date Tech, they still had a long way to go. Even as she knew all this, it didn’t mean Arisa was alright with it.

When the match ended, she was on her feet towards their team.

She ran, from her seat, towards Karasuno's side. Spotting Tobio, she immediately wraps him in her arms in silence, never minding the stares and whispers. She wanted him to know that she still loved him, that he was still amazing. When they part, he seems better, not totally, but he is. She was sure to share her sentiments with the rest of the team.

Noticing the absence of a certain vice-captain, she sets off to look for him.

Finding Sugawara at the changing room by himself, she approached him carefully. Quiet sniffles and sobs were heard, originating from the gray-haired teen, her heart broke a little.

She puts a hand on his shoulder, announcing her arrival, and gives him a reassuring smile. That’s all that it took for him to throw his arms around her.

Arisa returns the hug, comforting him over the fact that their team lost to Aoba Johsai, holding him in her arms as he cries. She can't help but cry with him, she could imagine the pain, the disappointment, the loss.

But he was amazing, _so_ amazing out there. She makes sure to tell him all that. He was a ray of sunshine, one of the team’s greatest pillars. And the team played amazingly.

But it just wasn't enough to beat.

Together, they walk hand-in-hand out of the stadium, watching with great worry at the team, until he leaves with his team. She looks at Tobio worriedly; he gives her an assuring nod, before walking away.

Knowing that she still had to cover the games, she doesn't leave until their bus disappears from sight. Turning on her heel, she walks back to the stadium, finding Oikawa from afar. She doesn't meet his eyes, walking on.

 

…

 

Throughout the game, Arisa found it hard to focus on her job, thoughts flying to her cousin. Also, she _hated_ the finals game. Hate was such a strong word, it’s more of she didn’t want to be here.

Don’t get her wrong, she got along just fine with the boys’ volleyball team – despite her strained relationship with her ex, and was well acquainted with the opposing team – Shiratorizawa, she just _hated_ it.

Although she was there physically, mentally, she was not. Her mind was in turmoil, a lot of thoughts piled after another – some because of the situation, and some, as a sort of distraction of the situation. Overall, she felt like her presence was very half-assed.

The longer she stayed, the harder it was for her to be there.

She felt like she was doing a poor job, slipping in and out.

It wasn't a surprise when the latter team won.

In the end, when she couldn’t stand it anymore, she left before anyone could notice. The moment she left the stadium was like breathing for the first time, body relaxing.

Worried about her cousin’s state, she heads off to Torono town straight after the game.

Arriving at Karasuno High School, Arisa kept her head down as she made her way towards the gym, not wanting to draw attention to herself despite wearing her school uniform.

Upon reaching the gym doors, she stopped halfway as she was second guessing herself – should she even be here? Do they want a reminder of their loss?

But loud cheers resounded inside, all doubts vanquishing as she peeked in – everyone was on their feet, geared with a newfound determination and energy to fight for another chance at the Spring Games. Everyone, including the third-years who still wanted to fight.

Noticing a figure at the door, Sugawara looked up, surprised to see her, yet smiled in greeting. Everyone followed his gaze, smiles slowly making its way on their faces.

“Nee-san!” Tobio ran to her, the rest in tow.

Mirroring their expressions, she entered the gym, making her presence known. “Hey.”

Arisa found that she nothing to worry about, they were going to be okay.


	6. v

**[v]**

Scrutinizing eyes danced through the words, absorbing the story and reeling it in. Arisa had been drawn deep into reading, making the flustered freshman in front of her nervous. From the serious look on her face, her eyes skimming through, the freshman could barely breathe or utter a word.

“U-Um, senpai?”

The raven-haired girl turned the page, unable to hear him as she was too absorbed with the article. He swallowed hard, even though his throat had dried, anxiety growing. After all, it was his first article to be published, read by one of the club’s best writers.

“Y-Yoshizawa-senpai- “

“It’s good.” she nods, before he could finish, his expression changing.

“Eh? Really!?”

“Hm.” She hummed, lips stretching into a small smile. “It’s very well-written. Although you should be careful with your tone, you kinda like you give too much credit to the school and antagonize on the opposing team.”

“Speak for yourself, Yoshizawa.” Kuzunari called out, sleeves folded to his elbows. “You do the same thing, with your creative approach when you write. Not that it’s a bad thing.” Currently, he was busy looking over the final layouts of a few articles, needing only for the sports to be filled up. “And what’s with the, ‘crippling the crows’?” he looked up, arms folded on his chest.

“What? Too much?”

“No, just that, you sounded like you were painting our school to be the villain to this team’s chances at winning.” Pushing his glasses back, he fixes her a quizzical look. “Where did that come from?”

“I’d rather not say.” She replied, returning to her junior, patting his shoulder. “Nice work on your first article, Fukuoka-kun!”

The boy’s cheeks reddened, eyes lit before he bowed generously to his senior. “Thank you very much!”

Since the preliminaries wrapped up, it’s been busy days for Arisa and the Press Club – especially on the sport’s end. And with her end of the bargain with the girls’ volleyball club, she was left to work on her duties. Finishing and editing articles were hell, so were last minute whatnots that happened. But here they were on their way to printing the first article for the season.

Tiredly, she stretched out her arms, a satisfied moan escaping her mouth. Seeing the time on the clock, she excused herself and left the club room.

 

…

 

“I like you, Yoshizawa-san, I hope you consider going out with me!” the boy – Tsukamoto, was it? – says in front of her, cheeks red.

Arisa bit her lip, fiddling with her fingers behind her, her eyes shrouded with guilt and sadness. One look at her eyes and the boy had his answer.

“I’m sorry, Tsukamoto-san,” she started, almost with practiced ease. “but I can’t return your feelings. Also, I’m not looking for a relationship right now. I hope you understand.”

She hadn’t realized how many times she’s memorized the speech in her head, making it so easy to say. But as easy as they were, it was still difficult to let out.

Although pained by the rejection, Tsukamoto steeled his nerves and nodded in understanding, meeting her in the eye. “I understand. It’s just that…Yoshizawa-san, you’re so amazing, you’re smart, you’re unique, you’re so compassionate about what you do, and you’re so beautiful.” She merely smiled at that, eyes softening as he lowered his eyes from her, hiding the hurt. But she saw it anyway.

“Thank you, Tsukamoto-san. And, I’m really sorry I can’t return your feelings.” The smile on her face was sincere, genuine.

When all was said and done, both Tsukamoto and Arisa turn to leave. She didn’t have to turn to see how his shoulders shook, the shaky breath he released, the tears streaming down his face – because she already knew.

Making a turn, she let out a heavy sigh, slumping her back against the vending machine. Her eyes fell shut as she recalled the event moments ago.

Confessions were draining, especially when the one confessing were the nice ones. It was so hard to reject them, more so to even explain why if they were the pushy or desperate ones.

_“Hey, Tobi, what do you think of me getting a boyfriend?”_

_The young boy’s look of surprise was not to be amiss. Considering his cousin's words, he gave it a thought, a small frown on his face. Though uncomfortable, he says. “Well…Arisa-nee-san is very pretty and talented, so you have a lot of admirers.” His frown intensifies at this before it softens. “I don’t mind.”_

_“Really?”_

_He nods. “So long as nee-san’s happy. That’s all that matters.” He says simply._

“It’s so easy to be painted the villain…” she says aloud, to no one in particular.

 

…

 

What was supposed to be a one-time visit ended up being quite frequent. Ever since their loss, Arisa found herself closer than ever to the team. And she was rather fond of them. However, due to her crazy schedule, her visits were quite limited.

At one point, they – her cousin, especially – asked her to play with them. As much as she didn’t want to, she couldn’t turn them/Tobi down, not when she was just standing and watching there (and Tobi had that hopeful look in his eyes). So, she had to borrow from Shimizu, whose clothes were a bit small on her.

Upon playing, she wowed the team with her skills, especially since not all of them knew of her history as a regarded volleyball player back in junior high. The look on her cousin’s face when she played was of pure delight, bringing a smile to her face. He seemed more energetic, with her on the court. Really, she would do anything for her cousin.

Coach Ukai was the only one who seemed to know who she was, needing only her to play to reaffirm his suspicions.

“Eh? So, you were _the_ Arisa Yoshizawa? ‘ _The Girl with the Killer Smile'_?” Sugawara asked when they took a break from practice.

Arisa cringed at that, water halfway from her mouth. “Never thought I’d see the day where I’d hear that damn title again.”

Sugawara laughed apologetically. “You cousins are so alike. Sorry, I brought it up then. But why’d you quit though?” he asked, curiosity getting to him. “It’s such a waste of your talent.”

Sighing, she scratched her neck, uncomfortable with the subject. "It’s not that I hate volleyball," she tells him, hugging her knees. "I've just had enough fill of the glory."

He watches her, sees the storm in her eyes that speak volumes. He doesn’t say anymore, merely gives her a kind smile. “I understand.”

She doesn’t know why, but she always liked it when he smiled. And while she got along with everyone in Karasuno just fine, Sugawara was the easiest person to get along with, she finds. Ever since they first met, there was just this air of ease and comfort around him.

 

…

 

Shortly after their practice, where Arisa didn’t have to play, the gray-haired vice-captain asks her if they could talk privately, the tips of his ears reddening. Taking her by the hand, he takes her out of the gym, away from nosy teammates.

(The team, however, were not so discreet on watching them leave the gym grounds.)

From the way he held her hand was concerning, she could feel him sweating!

When he was sure that they were out of earshot, he turns to her, meeting Arisa in the eye, takes a deep breath as he boldly says, “Go out on a date with me, Yoshizawa.”

Taken aback, her eyes blinked rapidly in surprise. “S-Sugawara-kun?”

He lets go of her hand, scratching the back of his neck, looking sheepish. Chuckling nervously, his boldness from earlier quickly fades. “Ah, sorry…That was too forward. It’s just…Yoshizawa,” his usually kind and mischievous face warps into that of nervous but hopeful expression. “in case it wasn’t obvious, I like you, really like you.” Her heart skipped a beat, breath hitching in her throat.

“I’m not asking you to be my girlfriend just yet- ”

“ _Yet_?” she giggled, narrowing her eyes with her arms crossed against her chest. “Presumptuous, aren’t we?”

The corners of his lips lift, but his eyes were sincere. “Well, I can’t help it, you’re a force to be reckoned with – smart, pretty, talented, and you come as you are. I like that about you. I just want to get to know you more, and your visits don’t exactly help. This is selfish of me but I want a day to really get to know you,  _really_ know you.” Feeling a bit brave, he takes a step forward and brushes strands of her dark away behind her ear, voice firm as he continues. “I’m just asking that if you’d like to go out on a date with me.”

Arisa blinked, unable to look away from his eyes. He was so forward and so genuine.

She thought of all the times guys confessed to her. How long has it been since she’s been asked like this? And this sincere, with no ulterior motives whatsoever?

Not to brag, but Arisa’s been asked out a lot and she always says no. Boys in her school were just a bit of too much, every one of them reminded him of a shell of someone she wished she could forget.

“Alright then.” She replied, almost breathlessly.

Sugawara’s smile grew – it was the cutest thing ever. It seemed like the world seemed so much brighter when he smiled.

 

…

 

A loud squeal erupted into the pastel themed bedroom – girlish and enthusiastic, belonging to Arisa’s best friend, Segumi Tanaka. Arisa flinched, leaning away from her best friend, nearly dropping the mixture in her hands.

“He asked you out on a date!?” Segumi asked excitedly, her brown hair tied into a bun, bangs bunched away from her face. “And you said yes!?”

“Gah, yes, yes!” Arisa quickly replied, pulling further away. “And hold still!”

“I’m sorry, I’m just happy for you!” she giggled, girlishly.

Seeing the happy look on her best friend’s face was enough to bring a smile to hers. It’s been a rough week for Segumi. Arisa made a small sound – something likened to a scoff, as she carefully applied the mixture on the brunette’s face – filling the room, and Segumi’s face, with a sweet, strawberry smell.

“You make it sound like I haven’t been asked out.” she wrinkled her nose at the smell.

“Oh, you have. It’s just that, you turn them down a lot. And you can’t blame me,” she locks her gaze with Arisa. “I mean, it’s been a while since you’ve dated and all.”

Arisa hums lowly, casts her eyes to the pink mixture on her friend’s face, refusing to meet her eyes.

“As your best friend, I worry about you, and that includes your well-being and your love life!”

Grey-blue eyes rolled heavenward, the corners of her lips twitching. “Yes, yes, got that loud and clear.”

Without her glasses, Segumi’s green eyes seemed larger and more child-like. She carefully applied around her eyes, making sure the mixture doesn’t touch her brows or eyes. Her olive hues soften at her best friend.

“But from the way you describe him, he sounds like a really nice guy. And the way he asked you was just really nice of him. You would do well with a guy like him.”

Arisa pulled back, looking incredulously at her friend, at her words, and at the tone.

“Arisa, do you like him? Or is there a possibility that you can like him?”

Remembering his gentle smile, his warm and gentle aura, the way he just assures everyone made Arisa think. He was the first person from the team she befriended, and he wasn't exactly the hardest person to get along or, or like for that matter. He was just the embodiment of a ray of sunshine. The corners of her lips twitch, slowly lifting to a tight smile.

“I already _do_ like him.”

That answer assures Segumi. “Then that works for me. I just want my Arisa to be happy, is all.”

Those words weighed more than they should, especially when Segumi had this look in her eyes. Arisa couldn’t think of a better friend than the brunette.

She returned the smile. “Same goes for me, I want my Segumi to be happy as well.” Finishing up, she took a step back. “Even if she’s too shy to admit her feelings to Hajime.” She teased in a sing-song, pressing her finger on the tip of her nose.

“Arisa!”

She pulled her head back, laughing.

 

…

 

 

 

 

 

 

> **TO: Arisa**  
>  **FROM: Sugawara-kun**  
>  Hey! ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ  
>  I’m almost there. See you soon!

 

Sitting on the railing, she let out a small laugh, replying before putting her cell phone away. Her head swayed gently to the beat of the music, eyes wandering towards people going in their everyday lives. They stop at the glass in front of her, seeing her reflection in the mirror.

Arisa opted for her favorite floral dress, pairing it with a brown cardigan and combat boots. Her makeup was light, and finishing her look was her favorite knitted beanie. Segumi would probably freak, saying she looks like she’s not going on a date – ah, she was overthinking!

And why was she so nervous? Oh, right. It’s been a while since someone asked her out.

“Yoshizawa!” a voice called, rather jubilantly.

Taking a deep breath, she took off her earphones and turned to meet her date – wearing a denim jacket, a striped shirt, dark jeans, and boots. He also had a beanie.

“Wow, you clean up good.” She says, after giving him a good look from head to toe. Up close, she never realized how close they were in terms of height, Sugawara having an inch on her.

“I was just about to say the same thing about you!” He chuckled. “So, shall we go?”

“Where are we going?”

Sugawara hummed aloud, putting a hand on his chin. “Hm, I  _could_ tell you, but that would ruin the fun.” The corners of his mouth lift into his signature smile “So, I’d rather show you.”

“Clever boy.”

He grinned toothily, taking her hand in his. Then stops, pauses at the realization of his actions dubiously meeting her eyes. “Ah, sorry…but, is this okay?”

Perplexed, she stared at their hands – his large pale hands on her smaller, darker one – remembering the feel of it when they last held when they lost during Inter-High, how warm it felt against hers. It almost felt natural to be holding his hand. She didn’t seem to mind.

Stretching her lips into a smile, she gave a gentle squeeze. “You’re already doing it.”

His smile widens a tint on pink on his cheeks. “Let’s go then!”

Their first stop was the Miyagi Museum of Art. It was packed, per usual – with tourists and people. It wasn’t her first time visiting; nonetheless, it always made her feel better whenever she came.

Arisa wished she brought her camera, but opted her eyes to do the capturing. She loved exhibits, mostly if it were photography. There was just something about them that made you appreciate life however it was interpreted, making you see the world with a brand-new set of eyes.

Through the exhibit, she couldn’t help but indulge Sugawara about her favorites, sharing stories about the art on display that was practically embedded into her brain. He had been very attentive, hanging on to every word.

After half an hour or so, they then grab lunch at a nearby fast food restaurant, where Sugawara confessed that he had to seek out her cousin’s consent on asking her out. It touched her more how he had asked Tobio of (albeit, embarrassingly) her interests to give him an idea for the date.   
  
And speaking of her cousin, Sugawara noted how close the two were, almost akin to siblings. Arisa was quick to fill him about their childhood, of how much time she spent taking care of him and her brother. Since she was the oldest of a new generation, she was the one who had to take care of them. While she talked, her eyes seemed to sparkle, clearly passionate about family. It was sweet of him to even ask.

For the rest of the day, they proceeded to the park for a walk and some ice cream. Later, dropping by the arcade to play some games – Sugawara managing to beat her at every single one. They stopped by the music store, finding that they both have the same taste in music.

She was having a great time.

Sugawara Koushi really was such a great guy – so optimistic, a gentleman, yet so cheeky and full of sass. Plus, has she mentioned that he was really cute?

“Ah, really.” Arisa groaned at the sound of her phone ringing off again.

“What’s wrong?” He watched as she plucked her phone, a small frown on her face.

“I’m sorry but, can you just-?” he looks at her dubiously, curious. Without warning, Arisa takes him by the arm, letting him lean on her, holds out her camera to the mirror, and takes a photo of their reflection. “There we go.” Furiously typing away, she met Sugawara’s confused face, feeling apologetic. “Sorry, but my best friend’s been nagging me all day.”

“Best friend?” he quirked a brow.

“Yeah, she’s been asking me how the date’s going so I decided to take a photo of us and show her.” Realizing her mistake, she lets out a sigh. “Oh, sorry, here I am talking about my best friend in the middle of our date.”

“No, it’s okay.” He shakes his head, an understanding smile on his face. “In fact, it’s nice to see you like this, another side of you I don’t know.”

She stared at him, long and hard. “You know, I’ve noticed something.”

“Hmm?”

“Every setter I know is pretty.”

Sugawara snorts, bursts out laughing. “W-What?”

“I’m serious! I mean, well…” There are a handful of setters she finds pretty – her cousin (and she’s not being biased), Oikawa (obviously), Yahaba, Shirabu and Semi from Shiratorizawa, she briefly met Fukurodani's Akaashi when she was visiting her godfather, and then there’s her date. “it was an observation!”

Cheekily, he leaned his face over hers. “So, you think I’m pretty?”

“I’m on a date with you, aren’t I?” she countered.

He chuckles, quite arrogantly. “That’s true. Somehow, I feel like I should be insulted. You only agreed to go out with me because you think I’m pretty.”

Snorting again, she playfully shoved him with her elbow. They laugh.

Sugawara's eyes drop to the ground, for a second before he looks back, a frown marred on his handsome face. Before she could ask, he knelt, her heart skips a beat when his hands began to tie her laces.

“ _Oh_.”

Oh, indeed.

People were staring at them, amused whispers at the young couple, at Sugawara's sweet gesture that took her completely by surprise. Neither she or Sugawara seemed to mind their audience, Arisa was too swooned at the moment to even notice.

Securing her laces, he rises to his feet and takes hold of her hand, almost instinctively. “Let’s go?”

She stared at her boots, seeing her neatly tied laces before shaking her head at him. There was something she wanted to say, but the words died down her throat. Instead, she nods, a smile creeping its way to her burning face, eyes drifting to their hands.  
  
After a beat of silence, he asked. "Have you always wanted to be a photographer?"  
  
With a hum, she peers up to him. "Not really. At first, it was curiosity that even brought me to do it. My godfather was a photographer, so he was my biggest influence and my current mentor. One day, when he was visiting, he brought these old magazines..." Smiling wistfully, the memories rush to her head clear as day. "I'll never forget the one day he took me with him for one of his photo walks."  
  
Sugawara fixed his stare on her face, how carefree she looked, how her eyes glinted when talking about her passions. Feeling a strange skip in his heart when he found it to be because of her, of how she is.

The moment was short-lived when they turned a corner, running into four of the least people she'd come across with. Her eyes caught on four sets of familiar heads and surely enough, they wound up to be Hanamaki, Matsukawa, Iwaizumi, and Oikawa. The look of surprise was written on their faces, Oikawa’s most especially. Immediately, she was cut right off, words slipping out of her head.

“Yo, Yoshizawa,” Hanamaki casually greeted. “fancy meeting you here!”

“Y-Yo,” she called back, uncomfortably. Noticing this, Sugawara pulled her closer, an air of protectiveness wavers even though he was a lot shorter compared to the four. “I could same to you guys.”

Iwaizumi just stared at them, a bit surprised when he caught sight of her and him - them, together. Oikawa, however, was a different story – the look of surprise escalated, unable to hide his shock as if he didn’t understand the situation before him.

“You.” Matsukawa eyed her date, narrowing his eyes, recognition flashing. “Aren’t you the setter from Karasuno?”

“Yeah, I am.” Sugawara smiled, amicably despite the sudden change of the atmosphere.

“What are you doing with  _our_ Yoshizawa?” asked Hanamaki, to which Arisa replied, affronted, “’our Yoshizawa’?” narrowing his eyes at them.

“As you can see, we are on a date.” The gray-haired teen answered calmly, squeezing onto her fingers – for assurance or security, she didn’t know.

“The heck-? Yoshizawa, are you fraternizing with the enemy?” Hanamaki turned to her in accusation.

“Idiot,” Iwaizumi (harshly) whacked the light-haired teen in the head. “Let people live their lives.”

She swore she heard a sharp intake of breath. There was no mistaking the look on Oikawa’s face, it was as if someone had just punched him in the gut, angry and confusion warping on his features. Before another word was said, immediately, she called out, “Well, it was nice seeing you and all, but we really must be going!” Without another word, she pulls Sugawara away from the four, dismissing the rapid beating of her heart.

 

…

 

At the same park, where they bought ice cream, was where they sought refuge. Well, where Arisa sought refuge. In the silence that passed, the two sat together. From a distance, children were playing happily in the playground, smiles on their faces, the kind of emotion that she was supposed to be feeling.

She just stared at their hands - his hands wrapped in hers, too lost in thought to even look at her date's face.

Arisa didn't talk, neither did Sugawara. It worried him.

Though words weren't spoken, even Sugawara couldn't the miss of the tension he felt between Arisa and the Seijoh captain. He poked his thoughts into it, realizing how whenever they were in the same room, there was a great avoidance on her part, and an almost yearning on his. He didn't miss his look of distaste when he caught them together.

“Yoshizawa,” Sugawara finally called, carefully, his brown eyes soft. “you know you can tell me anything, right?”

She hesitated, lifting her eyes to him, watching him with careful eyes. She looked vulnerable, it tugged at his heart. He gave a soft squeeze in assurance, smiling softly.

Seriously, how was this guy real?

“Promise you won’t judge?” she asks softly, returning her gaze to their hands, his large ones on hers.

He nods. “I promise I won’t judge.”

“Okay, but I warn you, it’s a pretty long story.”

Shrugging, he inched closer. “I have time.”

“Have I mentioned that it’s kind of boring?”

“You’re stalling.” She smiled, defeated, there was no escaping him.

Licking her lips, she stared off at the playground, watching a young girl run to her parent's arms before she started to speak. "Well then, let's start at the very beginning, from my parents. Both families always,  _always_ had a male for a firstborn, and it was that way ever since. So, when my mom met my dad, they were both obviously expecting a boy. But to their dismay, it was a girl, and- " With her free hand, she pointed to herself. "I was born. You could imagine the disappointment on their faces when I was brought to them. " She felt his hand tightened on hers, a comforting gesture.

"Mom expects little from me, while dad expects me to do everything as he says because I'm the eldest and because he couldn't accept the fact that his oldest was a girl. So, when my brother was born, they were over the moon. But then, they found out that he was sickly and shifted their attention back to me, putting all their frustrations over the fact that their firstborn was a girl, a total letdown to both families." Her eyes fell shut at the memory, of the many summer clinics they made her attend. The times she's wanted to quit but can't because she was scared of disappointing her parents.

“And then, middle school happened. I joined the volleyball club, to impress my parents. And then, I met Oikawa.” All the memories came flooding in, choking her. “I-It was like I struck gold. My parents were happy that he was my boyfriend, which is strange, I know. But then I realized, he must be the embodiment of what I could’ve been, that’s why my parents liked him so much. It was a healthy relationship, but it lasted for about five months.”

“Five months?”

She nods eyes seemingly distant. “He wasn’t perfect. Oikawa had a lot of insecurities and frustrations, releasing them through volleyball. And one of his insecurities came in the form of Tobi." She noted the look of surprise on his face at the mention of her cousin. Her heart clenched as she continued. "With Tobi, he felt even more threatened because he was a better player than he was, and he had me. He was desperate to prove that he was worth something. It was a scary time. He nearly hurt Tobi, even using my brother's name in vain. He chose his insecurities over me." With her free hand, she ran it through her hair, fisted a bunch of it. "And that hurts because it meant he didn’t trust me enough. So, I decided to end things. My parents were heartbroken, begging me to reconcile with him, but I broke down after so many years of carefully holding up my frustrations.” She swallowed, not realizing how dry her throat was. “Oikawa, for all his faults and insecurities, was a good guy. A bit pompous and narcissistic, but a good guy no less. But the thing was, I kind of hated him. He represented everything my parents wanted in a son they could never have. As much as he made me happy, he made me feel insecure at the same time. He was a reminder that if I really wanted my parents to be happy, I'd have to stay with him. He made me feel cheap. H-He was...” she stopped, unable to continue.

And then, she broke down in front of Sugawara; the gray-haired lad gently wrapped her in his arms. She clung onto him, feeling her strength leave her as she let out years’ worth pent up frustrations and insecurities.

For a long time, she thought she was strong – being able to keep in the pain from losing her brother, Tobio’s change, bearing her parent’s frustrations, her insecurities, and her break-up with Oikawa. But she was only human, she was bound to break. And it felt good to let it out, it felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders.

Gently, Sugawara caressed her head, rubbing comforting circles on her back. Pulling away, he cupped her cheeks, wiping tears away from her face.

“I’m sorry,” she croaked, looking away. “I’m sorry I turned out a wreck. And for souring the mood of this date.”

He hummed, shaking his head, the gentle look on his face ever present.

“Call it even, you saw me at my lowest, I see you in yours." He said jokingly, but it was laced with concern. With his hand, he tucked strands of dark hair away from her face. "Besides, it’s okay to break down sometimes.”

Tentatively, she reached for his hand, relishing in its warmth, its roughness from playing, reminding her of when they held hands after they lost to Aoba Johsai. Sugawara flipped the hand she was holding, intertwining their fingers together.

Softly, he presses a kiss to her temples, as if to kiss the pain away.  _Now_   _they were even,_ he wanted to say. The corners of her lips lift into a soft smile, touched by the gesture.

“Thank you,  _Koushi_ - _kun_ “

 

…

 

As the skies darkened, twilight soon waning over, their date had ended.

Much to his insistency, Sugawara walked her to the train station, insisting that he wouldn't be put to ease unless he saw her off.

“I had a great time, Koushi-kun.” She tells him as they waited on the platform for her train. Overhead, the PA announced the incoming train in five minutes.

“Me too. Maybe we should do this again?”

Arisa made a face, giving it a thought. “Maybe.” She tilted her head, cutely.

He laughs. “You’re a cruel woman.”

A loud blare, coming from the train, resounds. Arisa, together with the rest, straighten up, awaiting the upcoming train. When it stops, she and Sugawara step aside, letting people through. He smiles down at her, lifting their intertwined hands to kiss her palm. Her lips stretch into a smile, something she’s been doing a lot lately.

“Until next time,  _Arisa."_

...

 

Arisa dreaded Mondays, taking away what freedom; she had over the weekend and was the start of another school week. And kicking it off was the release of their publication; they had to distribute it around campus. So that week, she’d had to give that Monday an exception.

“Uwah, that’s a lot!” the Tanaka twins stared at the boxes in front of them.

Carefully, Kuzunari plucked an issue from the box, smiling at their newest issue of the season. The room slowly filled with smiles, in his hand was their hard work.

“It’s so pretty…” Yamamoto, the head layout artist cried.

“It is.” Fujiwara agreed.

Arisa rolled her eyes at the club member’s sentiments. But even she couldn’t help it, her chest swelled with pride as she saw her photos on the cover page.

“Everyone, nice work!” Basho-sensei says to the club members, raising a thumb up. “And Yoshizawa,” he turned to her. “Nice cover, per the usual.”

She grins in response, letting out a small breath. Left and right, she received praises and compliments from her clubmates.

“Now, everyone, start distributing!” the older man’s voice boomed.

He didn’t have to say it twice and the club members were off distributing copies all around the campus.

After Arisa dropped copies at the faculty, she ran into Segumi, who in turn had been looking for her. And since it was Monday, and it was after class, she had no practices.  
  
"So," she started almost immediately, unable to hide the grin on her face. "How was it?"

Arisa smiled. "It was..." then the smile on her face grew, unable to answer, the girlishly happy look on her face says it all. "... _something_."  
  
"Arisa!" Her best friend squealed, pulling her into a hug. "I'm so happy for you!"  
  
"Thanks, Segumi." she replied at the affection. And she meant it, returning her hug.  
  
After the girls' team almost won at the quarter-finals, her bespectacled best friend was distraught. Arisa felt bad for her best friend, hating to see her without her down and without her ever present smile. To see her smile, even if it was about her, was a sight to see.  
  
"So, what does this mean for you now?" she asked curiously.  
  
"Gumi, it was just one date." Arisa tucks her hair behind her ear, giving it a thought. "Besides, we haven't discussed it really. I mean, it could be a one-time date you know."  
  
Studying the dark-haired girl, Segumi saw the faintest of sparkle in her eyes. "But you don't sound like you're against the idea of dating him." There was a smile in her tone, somewhat of relief. And the subject was left at that.  
  
Walking through the underpass, the skies darkening, rumbling lowly - a rare summer storm coming.   
  
Arisa turned to her best friend, noting the weather. "So are you ready to go now?"  
  
"Not yet." Her shoulders slumped, lifting her hand to push her glasses back. "Do you mind if we drop by the club room first? I forgot to get my notebook that Kaede borrowed."  
  
"Why'd you lend her your notebooks?"  
  
Segumi chuckled, guilty and nervous. "She fell asleep in one of Sasai-sensei's class, and they'll be having a quiz sometime this week. You know how Sasai-sensei's quizzes are."  
  
"Do I ever." She shudders.  
  
"Also, Naoki and Haruki asked for my help with their homework," Segumi adds with a small sigh.  
  
Arisa 'awwed'. "Aren't you big sister of the year?"  
  
A couple of minutes later they arrived at the complex building, housing the many sports club rooms. Climbing one flight of stairs, they were outside the volleyball girls' club room, with a notice by

Coach Yoshizawa on what to expect at the next practice. Arisa cracked a joke about her cousin's crazy pregnancy, Segumi laughed at that, before taking out her keys. Arisa announced that she'll be waiting outside, peering at the dark skies. With her back turned, she rests her arms on the railing, watching the clouds gather.

Practices were sure to be canceled, she thought. From a distance, she could see the softball club running from the opposite end, towards their gear. Since it was Monday, the only clubs on their off-days were the volleyball and basketball clubs.

Deep in thought, Arisa hadn't noticed a presence behind her before she was suddenly snatched from behind, a hand slapped over her mouth, her assailant pulling her into a darkened room.

She struggled against his strong hold on her, squinting her eyes, recognizing the neighboring boys' clubroom.  
  
Outside, the door opened next door before it closed shut. "Arisa?" Segumi called outside, wondering where she went.  
  
She screamed, only for the hand to press harder, taking hold of her hands in a vice grip, her body pressed against his chest.  
  
"Where did she go?" she could imagine her scratching her head. A rustling, probably going through her bag for her phone. Remembering that she had left her phone at the club room to charge, she cursed. Of all days!

Outside, she heard her hum worriedly, having called her phone a few times.  
  
"Yo, Gumi-chan!" a new voice called, sounding like Hanamaki.  
  
"Takahiro-kun! Ah, and Iwaizumi-kun and Matsukawa-kun!" 

"What are you still doing here?"

"Ah, just getting my notebook." she giggled cutely, embarrassed.

Hanamaki chuckled at his childhood friend. "I see. Hey, wanna go home together?"

"Ah, but before anything else, have you seen Arisa?"

"Yoshizawa?" A short hum. "Not that I have. Have you guys?"

"Nope."

"Nu-uh."

"That's weird, she was just here moments ago."

Arisa struggled, screaming against the assailant's hands, Segumi starting to leave. Their voices diminishing - discussing of possible places she could be, they were probably walking away from the building. When they were far enough, her assailant turns her around, slamming her back against the locker.

Through the dark, she could make out his furious gaze, emotions burning with words, a thousand words, dying to be expressed. She could feel him screaming, even if he hasn't said a word yet. This is exactly what she wanted to avoid.

Taking his hand from her mouth, Arisa didn't waste her time and asked hotly. "What do you want?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, hands dangerously on either side of her body, trapping her in. "Since when have you and Mr. Refreshing been so close?"

"How is that any of your business?" she spat, the fire stirring inside her.

"It's my business when it comes to you." He says, Arisa couldn't help but laugh dryly, incredulously. Oikawa's look intensifies, practically snarling at her. "Just because we broke up doesn't mean anyone can have you."

"I'm not a property to be owned."

"No," he shakes his head, leaning close, hot breath tickling her face. "but you're mine."

She hated how smug he was, how assured he was, as if she was a thing to be owned. "What gives you the right to lay claim on me?" 

His voice was dangerously low as he leaned to whisper, running his thumbs over the corners of her lips. " _Ever since I popped your cherry._ "  
  
Her blood ran cold, eyes widening, body shaking violently. He was mocking her.  
  
Pushing him away, she swings her hand to his face, but he catches it, pins it above her head. Outraged, Arisa forces him away from her, but Oikawa uses his sheer force to stop her, trapping her. She was breathing hard, glaring daggers at the brunet in front of her. Angry tears were threatening to fall, but she held them in, refusing to show weakness in front of him,  _especially_  in front of him. She always hated how his pride took him so far as to act like he had rights to her as if she were a property. Unfazed, he met her gaze head on, a myriad of emotions swimming in those twin dark brown pools she used to love. What happened next was something she'd never expect.  
  
Roughly pushing her against the lockers, he tore at her uniform – buttons flying, slipping her jacket off. Arisa's fit of rage quickly turned into fear as she struggled against him, but his grip was too tight.  
  
“Oik–  _hmph_!” he silenced her with his mouth, swallowing her squeals. His other hand began its trail down her body – his touch cold, rough, her mind going blank.  
  
Breaking away – a thin trail of saliva connecting their mouths – he went for her neck, pinning her body with his. And her traitorous body was pliant in his hands, reacting to his touch.  
  
“Oikawa…don’t.” her hands struggled to push him away, fisting on his shoulders. “Why are you doing this?”  
  
Releasing her skin, leaving a red mark, he whispered. “Isn’t it obvious?” he lifted his gaze to meet hers, brown orbs burning into hers. “I want you back.”  
  
By her next intake of breath, his lips were pressed against hers. She parted her mouth to protest, but Oikawa mistook it for an invitation for his tongue. He took hold of both her hands with one hand, pinning it above her head. With the other, he reached down to caress her bare skin. Her breath hitched, biting her lip to keep it from quivering, shaking her head forlornly at him.  
  
Her body slackened in his touch, tingling with every caress, every kiss. As much as her body enjoyed it - choking on a moan, in her mind, she knew this wasn't right. This wasn't right, this was wrong - so, _so_ wrong. _Not like this, it shouldn't go like this_. Seeing as he won't stop, Arisa decided to squeeze her eyes shut, thinking that if she does so, it'll be over quickly.  
  
A low rumble filled the skies, the rain starting to fall.  
  
Gentle hands cupped her face, his touch making her flinch, thumbs wiping away her tears. Soft whimpers escaped her mouth, she didn’t even know she was crying. What she felt...she didn't know what to feel.  
  
“Arisa," Oikawa's voice was soft, too soft, a contrast from his tone earlier. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."  
  
That made her only cry harder, hot tears falling fast like the rain outside. Her heart hurts, her body tingling, aching for his touch, it made her feel cheap, disgusted at herself.   
  
The sight of her crying broke him, he hated seeing her cry. He takes her face in his hands, gently wiping the tears away. He felt cold, numb like a knife stabbed through his heart knowing that  _he_ made her cry.   
  
She looks up at him, seeing the pained expression on his face, the guilt swimming in his eyes.  
  
"Do you hate me?” his voice was soft, as were his eyes – she almost wanted to hold him. Almost.  
  
Sniffling, she shook her head. “Such a common misconception. The opposite of love isn’t hate, it’s indifference.”  
  
With that, she pulled away, quickly grabbed her jacket from the ground, zipped herself, and left, allowing her tears to fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a blast writing this chapter. Prolly because of Suga, or a bit of backstory, or because of the drama (●ↀωↀ●) And truth be told, I had the same experience where a guy who was courting me chose his insecurities over me. He was overweight and felt like he couldn't make me happy. That made me feel cheap, like I was after looks. I know it's kind of petty, but it hurts because you don't trust the person's feelings to accept your flaws and all. And to this day, I'm reminded of that. We're still good friends, but that will always be a band-aid on the 'what could have been'  
> DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOTAND OC


	7. vi

**[vi]**

 

In the dead of night, through the darkened room, the door closed shut, her bag carelessly thrown aside, and nothing but the moon's silvery beam slithering through her room, a ringing cut through.

 

 

 

> **TO: Arisa**
> 
> **FROM: Oikawa**
> 
> Please answer my call.

 

Still dressed in her uniform - her torn uniform, needing to zip herself up lest she worry her grandfather - she laid in bed, hugging a whale stuffed toy that used to belong to Takeru, staring into nothing as tears streamed down her face. The ringing went on, but Arisa ignored it, never reaching for her phone.

 

 

 

> **TO: Arisa**
> 
> **FROM: Oikawa**
> 
> Arisa, please.

 

She had run all the way home, not bothering to wait for Segumi, not wanting to cry in front of her and the other three (especially with Hajime present) or show the state she was in. Somehow, she felt paranoid of the eyes that looked her way, even when she had her hood up and kept her head down.

 

 

 

> **TO: Arisa**
> 
> **FROM: Oikawa**
> 
> Arisa.
> 
> I'm so sorry.

 

When she was home, Arisa ran to her room, making an excuse to her grandfather that she wasn't feeling well, even ignoring Nagasaki's cries at her arrival.

In the comforts of her room, she still felt numb. Her body felt cold, rigid, almost foreign to her. But they ached from Oikawa's touch, missing his skin on hers and his lips - she can't help but feel disgusted at herself. More tears fell before she could stop herself. 

 

 

 

> **TO: Arisa**
> 
> **FROM: Oikawa**
> 
> I didn't mean for it.

 

Her phone rang again for the nth time. She closed her eyes, exhaling deeply as tears streamed down her face, letting it ring. 

 

 

 

> **TO: Arisa**
> 
> **FROM: Oikawa**
> 
> It's just...I still love you.
> 
> I hope you forgive me.
> 
> **TO: Oikawa**
> 
> **FROM: Arisa**
> 
> I've already forgiven you.
> 
> I always do.
> 
> Even if you don't deserve it.

 

...

 

_Limbs tangled together like vines. Skin burning from the touch. Gasps, whispers and the sound of skin slapping against skin resounded in the room. Hot breaths mixing. A blur of senses and emotions. Their desires thrown across each other, just wanting to bring themselves close – as close as possible. The more he moved, the closer it felt toward Nirvana._

_Grabbing her hand in his, intertwining their fingers, he lifted his gaze to hers – feeling the fire inside him burn even more at her glazed expression, drunk in the moment._

_They held onto each other as their climax crashed, crying euphoria out, never letting go of the other until much later._

_Fingers trailed along the smooth expanse of her skin, leaving after burns and a soft exhale from the dark-haired beauty in his arms. Delicately, he traced the dots on her skin, smiling as he made out a constellation – Cygnus. Lyra. The Southern Cross._

_It was a small consolation, a silly one at that. He was fascinated, with these little discoveries about her. Every day, he seemed to find something new about her._

_Carefully, he looked down at the dark-haired girl, still deep in sleep under the same sheets. But with a brush of his long fingers, she'd groan, brows furrowing slightly. If it's any indication, she was very sensitive to his touch, still._

_He chuckled softly, pressing his lips lovingly on her temple. Sleep slowly drew over him, and before he succumbed to it, he stared at the sleeping beauty before him, a smile creeping on his lips, the gentle thumps of his beating heart slowly drifting him off._

 

...

 

 _Deep breaths, deep breaths_ _,_  she told herself, the door to the girls' gymnasium was right in front of her. Inside, she could hear a flurry of movements - of balls smacking, squeaks, yells, and the occasional bark from her cousin - just the usual noises of practice.

It must've been strange to be standing out the doors, for almost five minutes, going through the motions in her head one last time but she's decided.

Squaring her shoulders, she took one final breath before pushing the doors open. And upon entering, all eyes were on her - everyone stopped at the sight of her.

Segumi froze, eyes wide as saucers, surprised to see her best friend. "A-Arisa...?" She gave her a good look, from head to toe. It was like seeing her best friend for the first time. Slowly, a smile stretched on her face - a mix of surprise, shock, and joy. "Arisa, isn't that?"

Someone held their breath - sounding like Hinagiku or Tsukasa, she wasn't sure. The whole team rushed to meet her, shock evident in their faces.

Although she had anticipated their reaction, it was still embarrassing. "Uh, yeah…" she scratched the back of her neck consciously. "Found it lying around in my closet." She says, fiddling with the ends of her old jersey. "Surprisingly, it still fits."

After almost winning the quarter finals, Segumi's been giving her all in their practice, a little boost to cheer the team up. Arisa thought she could help out, wanting to support her best friend and the team to the end.

"If you'll have me, I wish to retain my role in helping you guys for the Spring Games."

The sight of her in her old jersey brought a certain libero to tears, moved her best friend as well, and the whole team. And to have her standing before the team, with a newfound determination to support them, was uplifting.

"Wait a minute!" her cousin yelled, making everyone in the team flinch. Before anyone could stop her, she was running out of the gym, leaving the team confused. A moment later, she came back with a navy-blue ribbon in hand.

Arisa groaned at the sight of it. "Really, Etsuko-nee?  _Really?_ "

"Oh, hush you!"

"Do you _always_ carry a ribbon around with you?"

"Shut it and entertain the pregnant lady."

Begrudgingly, she indulges her request (because she was pregnant), allowing her to tie it around her ponytail-braid. Judging from the looks everyone was giving her, she must've been something to look at.

"Oh, it's like being in middle school again!" Hinagiku sniffled joyously.

"Haha, funny." Arisa said dryly, humoring her.

Segumi's eyes were on the ribbon tied on her hair, a determined look crossing her face. "Arisa, remember when your team wore ribbons during the championships?"

"Oh yeah, that was to support Coach Okita." she smiled wistfully, recalling the days. "That was a great man there, but he had cancer. And although we didn't win, he was very happy with how far the team came. And unfortunately, said coach died."

Hinagiku's expression fell, bowing her head. Arisa walked up and hugged her.

"We're going to do that," Segumi announced, surprising the team, her voice was full of conviction. "to show our determination to go to nationals!"

Arisa smiled, liking the idea, and clearly, so does everyone in the team. Segumi was adorable embracing her captaincy, and she seemed so natural at it. Their loss from Inter-High was dreadful, but it was enough motivation to push forward.

"That'd be cute. So, go for it."

With that said, everyone cheered. Coach Yoshizawa brimmed with pride at her girls.

And that's how practice went, with Arisa in her old Kitagawa Daiichi uniform and a newfound determination to win at the Spring Games.

 

…

 

The sound of a screech announced his arrival, followed by Nagasaki's yelps. Arisa watched from the corner of her eye as Iwaizumi hopped off his bike, hands stuffed deep in her pocket.

"Yo, Yoshizawa," was his greeting, quickly getting to his knees to greet the black and white corgi, making sure to give him a good rub to his belly. "So, what's the big idea calling out on me in his godly hour?"

The stars were bright tonight, like jewels, almost like a thousand eyes watching down on mankind - judging, observing. Under the summer night sky could faintly make out Cygnus, the swan, Aquila, the eagle, not far from it. After a moment's thought, she starts, "Hajime," sighing wistfully, hopping off the railing, fiddling on spot. "Can you do me a favor?"

Noticing the change in her tone, he stands, takes a few steps towards to her, Nagasaki tilted his head at the two. "What is it?"

Turning to him fully, from her pocket she held out a small Darth Vader keychain, dangling off the chain from her finger. Iwaizumi stares at the object, before taking it in his hands.

"What the heck…?" Running his thumbs, he accidentally breaks off the head. Thinking he broke it, he was just about to apologize when he realized saw a plug attached to the body. "A flash drive?"

She nods, eyes on the object in his hands, as he inspected it curiously, chewing on her lip.

Realization dawns on Iwaizumi, attaching the head back to its body, meeting her grey-blue eyes.

Shoulders dropping, as if answering an unvoiced question, her lips curled. "Give it to him for me?"

Tomorrow was July 20.

And it was Oikawa's birthday.

 

…

  

 

 

 

> **TO: Arisa**
> 
> **FROM: Oikawa**
> 
> I got your present from Iwa-chan.
> 
> Thank you, Arisa.

 

…

 

"Hey, Kindaichi-kun!"

The said boy turns, eyes widened at the sight of Arisa, wearing a customary festival shirt and school skirt, half of her dark hair was bunched into a bun, exposing her piercings. She wore a smile on her face, hands folded behind her as she greeted the younger lad, who was with a few members of the volleyball team.

"Y-Yoshizawa-san!" Surprised by her appearance, he greeted, standing straighter, stuttering like a fool. "H-Hello!"

"Gosh, I forgot how tall you were," she states, having to look up at the younger lad. "And you've gotten a lot taller! By the way, you like corn, right? Grilled corn?"

Kindaichi frowns, slightly confused before quickly replying. "Ah, y-yes!"

As soon as he said that, from behind her Arisa held out a bag filled with steaming hot grilled corn. "Here."

The look on Kindaichi's face was priceless – he almost resembled a child who was given a new toy, eyes sparkling.

Gratefully, he takes the bag from her, blood running to his cheeks. "A-Ah, thank you. But why…?"

"Hinagiku-chan bought for the whole team and me since their class is handling a sort of Samurai-like booth. But she gave me some, a little bit of too much, and I vaguely remember you saying they were your favorite."

"Y-Yoshizawa-san remembers!?"

She giggled at him, giving him a playful-angry look. "Of course, I do."

Although touched by the gesture, he couldn't help but feel guilty. "But…" he bowed his head, avoiding her eyes.

"But?" she repeated.

Distressed, he mumbled out. "…I thought you were mad at me, hated me even." He looked back at her, seeing the confusion cross her face. "For… _you know_."

She blinked.

Ah, yes.  _That._

Arisa laughed, pinching his cheeks – much to the younger lad's surprise. "You're so cute, Kindaichi-kun." Releasing his cheeks, she adjusted her hold on her camera strap, darting her eyes from Kunimi to Kindaichi. "Yeah, I haven't forgotten what you've done to Tobi in middle school." At that, both he and Kunimi tensed. "And what you did was just tad unfair and unannounced to Tobi, also, frowned upon in athleticism." A shot to their hearts. "But," she sighed, her tone seemed to weigh more that the two looked up. "it was exactly what he needed to realize that volleyball is about team effort – there's no room for selfish kings."

Seeing the surprised look from both freshmen, Arisa chuckled, unable to help herself and quickly took a shot of it. When the two came to, Arisa was grinning toothily, unabashed of her actions.

"Well, I better be on my way now. Later!"

"A-Ah, goodbye Yoshizawa-san!" Kindaichi says, recovering.

Walking backwards, she waved at them before twirling to walk forward. Arisa slowly shrunk in the distance, her figure disappearing into the crowd.

Walking up to the taller lad, Kunimi elbowed his friend. "Kindaichi-kun, you're blushing!" the dark-haired teen teased, the blush on the taller lad's face intensifying. "Well, it can't be helped since you've had the biggest crush on Yoshizawa-san- "

"Gah, K-Kunimi!" Kindaichi screeched, nearly dropping the grilled corn in hand.

"Heh, Kindaichi has a crush on our Yoshizawa?" jeered Hanamaki, ruffling his hair. "You're growing up so fast."

"N-No, t-that's not it-!"

"Ah, he's getting redder." Matsukawa remarked.

 

…

 

Arisa peered in Class 5’s room, she’s never seen the room this way before – there are tables set up, with tablecloths, foreign-looking chairs, curtains and some furniture made to give their café life. It wasn’t a surprise to see how they garnered this much people, and it was the first day of the cultural festival! There was laughter, there was fun, there were costumed people running around.

“Arisa!” a familiar voice called, rushing out to meet her.

Quick to act, Arisa takes out her camera, instantly snapping a photo of her approaching best friend. “Hey Segumi,”

The brunette frowns, nevertheless, walks up to meet her. “Table for one?”

She shakes her head, putting her camera down. “Nah, I’m just doing my rounds – taking random, candid shots of the event.” She says, looking at their makeshift kitchen then back at her friend, giving her a good look from head to toe. “So, it’s onesie day?”

“That’s right! Gao~” she cries, making a dinosaur gesture.

She snorted. “ _Gao_?”

Segumi giggled, pushing her glasses back. “I’m trying to stay in character.”

“No, you don’t necessarily have to…” Arisa mumbled under her breath. But she had to hand it to her, with her hair tied into low twin pigtails, the ridiculous hood up, framing her face, and the onesie, and just Segumi – overall, she looked really cute.

“It’s okay, I was only asked to cook! But everyone in class must dress up. It’s kinda fun, actually.”

She hummed, looking around. “How about Hajime? I don’t see him anywhere.”

“Apparently the boys’ club has a bit of a gimmick of their own as well. But he was helped with setting up the kitchen though.” Arisa hummed again. Suddenly, Segumi’s bright eyes lit up, as if remembering something. “Ah, that’s right! Wait just a second.” Rushing to their kitchen, she reappears a few seconds later, holding out a bento. “Here you go.”

“Uh, no it’s okay, Segumi-”

“It’s alright, plus, it’s on the house!” leaning in, she presses a finger to her lips, whispering. “But don’t tell them though.”

Laughingly, she takes the bento from her gratefully. “Well, thanks very much, Segumi.”

“You’re welcome! Drop by more often, alright?” From behind her, she hears one of her classmates call out to her, saying she could take a break. “Oh yay! Arisa, let’s have lunch together. Wait for me?”

“I will.” She promises, watching her retreat inside before calling out to her. “Oh, and one last thing.” Holding out her camera, she took a photo of her, Segumi, and the bento she gave her.

The two best friends have their lunch at the cafeteria, talking about their class’s respective gimmicks and discuss the cultural festival. After a grueling month of exams, it was nice to have some time to enjoy themselves considering it was their last year.

After lunch, the two decide to walk around campus, checking the different booths, games, and gimmicks. And there was a lot. But it was wholesome of fun.

“Aren’t you feeling a bit hot in that?” Arisa asked, referring to her onesie.

The brunette shakes her head, playing with the tail. “Not really, it’s actually quite comfortable to wear. And it’s kind of cute.”

“Yeah, but it’s also garnering a lot of attention.” Wherever they went, people stared. It wasn’t hard to miss a dark-haired girl walking alongside a brunette in a green dinosaur onesie.

Segumi merely laughed. “I don’t mind. Plus, it serves as advertising!”

“Aren’t you the optimistic one,” Arisa groaned, rolling her eyes heavenward.

Every once in a while, some visitors would approach Segumi, complimenting her onesie. In turn, Segumi would happily advertise her class’s multi-themed café and invite them to visit. Arisa watched from the side, watching in awe as she managed to effortlessly talk through and convince the people to visit her class, and secretly eyeing off lechers who would get too touchy and nice with her. Segumi was too nice sometimes, and too naive.

Spotting a sweets booth, Segumi practically dragged Arisa towards it. The brightly colored booth nearly blinding, the smell of baked sweets quickly infiltrated her nose.

“Uwah, they have everything!” says her bespectacled best friend, pointing at the sweets on display – cakes, cupcakes, macaroons, donuts, cookies, crème puffs, and, to Segumi’s delight, her favorite – crepes. “Arisa, they also serve crepes here!” she squealed, excitedly.

“Easy now.” Arisa teased, eyeing a cinnamon roll in interest.

Once they were next, they quickly place their orders.

“Oh! And some profiteroles, please!” from wherever she stored it, Segumi takes out her wallet, holding out her money. “Just separate it from the rest please.”

With their orders were being prepared, Segumi explains. “Ah, it’s for Takahiro-kun.”

“I figured.” She replied, taking their orders from the counter. _Really, Segumi was too nice for this world._ “For a guy like him, it’s kind of funny that not only is he some jock, but he’s a bit of a menace who craves for something as sweet as the color of his hair.”  Segumi laughed at that, lightly. “I still find it hard to believe that he’s your childhood friend.”

“That’s kind of a harsh thing to say, but I get that a lot,” Segumi says with a small frown, her face lighting up when her crepe was handed to her. "Thank you very much!" Seeing as her friend would be occupied devouring her crepe, she takes the other paper bag and the two leave booth.

“Oh, there she is,” a familiar voice calls out of nowhere. “Oi, Gumi-chan!”

The two girls turn, finding their topic of interest with Matsukawa in tow. Segumi brightens at the sight of her childhood friend, resembling a dog who found her master. “Takahiro-kun!”

Without waiting for her reply, both players take hold of her arms. “Eh- “

“Target acquired.”

“Hey, wait, what’re you doing to-“

“Okay!”

“Arisa!”

“Segumi!”

And just like that, her Segumi was whisked away by the boys’ volleyball club. And boy was it was a sight to see.

Arisa had chased after them, finding herself standing at the third gymnasium. And inside the gym, their club held – a rather ridiculously famous – arm wrestling competition. And in the middle of the court, while effortlessly slamming down a contender’s arm, was the reigning champion, the undisputed Iwaizumi Hajime.

“Gehehe, better luck next time, Kyoutani.” Iwaizumi says, rather smugly.

For some reason, this ridiculous competition has gotten a rather decent fame every year. Maybe it’s got something to do about men and their pride, or maybe it was a way for girls to ogle at men’s biceps, but every year people always looked forward to it.

And for three years, people have all but tried to best and defeat the undisputed champion, the vice-captain, and ace of the Aoba Johsai Boys’ Volleyball Club.

But just because nobody’s ever defeated him doesn’t mean nobody wants to try – young and old, and also because, it’s just a good show of testosterone.

“Ah.” Suddenly, it clicked to Arisa.

As a frustrated and defeated Kyoutani walks off, Iwaizumi calls out to the crowd. “Alright, who’s next?”

Everyone from the male population grumbled some were determined to bring him down, some were scared to even dare, and some admired the young teen for his strength and endurance.

“Iwaizumi, I challenge you!” Hanamaki appeared, yelling and pointing at the spiky-haired teen.

“Bring it on!” He sneers confidently, proudly fixing his sash. “I hope you like the taste of defeat, Hanamaki!”

“Ah, but I’ve brought my triumph card!” From behind him, he pulls out a brunette in a dinosaur onesie.

“Takahiro-kun!?”

An equally surprised lad flusters at the sight of the brunette. “T-Tanaka!?”

In shock, he watches as the light haired-teen sits his childhood friend across him, who in turn was trying to reason her way out. Iwaizumi couldn’t take his eyes off her, especially with the onesie she was wearing.

“…That’s what I’m telling you, I’m not going to win!” she complained.

“Don’t worry, you’re stronger than you look, Gumi-chan!” Hanamaki flashed a peace sign to his childhood friend before joining the crowd. Segumi found Arisa, pleading with her eyes to help her out. Arisa only replied by finishing her cinnamon roll and reaching into the paper bag for another. Defeated, Segumi whimpered, burying her face in her hands. She _really_ didn’t want to be a part of this, it wasn’t her thing. And as far as she’s heard, you could get a fracture – she didn’t want that.

“H-How about it, Iwaizumi-kun?”

Clearing his throat, keeping his composure in front of the club (the pink on his face saying otherwise), he straightens up. “F-Fair warning, I won’t go easy on you.”

Nodding, Segumi lifts the sleeves of her onesie, revealing smooth, slender, pale skin, setting it on the table. Gulping, Iwaizumi mimics her, taking her hand in his, his blush intensifying. Watari, acting as referee, approached, putting a hand on their joined hands.

(In another life, it looked like the libero was a priest about to start wedding rites)

“Ready…” Segumi gulped, clearly unnerved. Iwaizumi was thinking of a million ways he could kill Hanamaki. Arisa readied her camera, still munching her cinnamon roll. Behind her, bets were being made. “go!”

With all her strength, the brunette tried to push down Iwaizumi’s hand; Segumi looked so cute, face scrunched as she forced all her strength to push Iwaizumi’s much larger (and muscular) arm. But it was useless.

Regardless, the crowd cheered for her (Hanamaki, most especially) even though Iwaizumi’s hand barely moved an inch, much to Segumi’s frustration. Arisa would like to believe it was because she was in the dinosaur onesie in the first place, making it quite a match to see.

Iwaizumi himself was having a hard time keeping a straight face, much less resist the blush on his face seeing Segumi’s struggle, just being this close to her, holding her small hand in his, seeing her in a _freaking_ dinosaur onesie!

Without batting an eye, he quickly pins Segumi’s hand down, careful not to slam it down.

“So close!” complained the wing spiker, hands on his hair.

“What’d you expect?” Arisa frowned at him, putting her camera aside.

Segumi slumped to the ground, thankful that it was over. Quickly, Iwaizumi ran to her, checking if she was alright.

“But,” a smirk crosses the teen’s features, eyes on Iwaizumi and his childhood friend. “you could say this was a win-win situation.”

“Win-win?” Arisa repeated, watching the two - Segumi took off her glasses wiping the sweat off her before putting them back on. “Really, Segumi must have the patience of a saint to be friends with you.” Without warning, she slams a paper bag to his chest. “Here, Segumi bought this for you.”

Confused, the taller teen takes the bag from her, peeking its contents. At the sight of it, he tearfully looks up at the brunette. “Gumi-chan!” Hanamaki ran to his friend, engulfing her in his arms. “You really are heaven sent!” _Click._

“Takahiro-kun, you’re the worst!” _Click. Click._

“I love you, too, Gumi-chan!”

“HANAMAKI, EXPLAIN YOURSELF!”

_Click. Click. Click._

“Yoshizawa, you seem to be enjoying yourself.”

“Well, this _is_ a cultural festival. By the way, have a cinnamon roll, Matsukawa-san.”

“Thanks.”

 

…

 

After a long day, Arisa retreats to the back of the campus, knowing that most of the activities were held at the entrance, needing a break from all the excitement.

Really, it was a long day, even on its first day! So much to cover, so many underclassmen to coach or assist, so little time to _actually_ enjoy the festival (although earlier’s fiasco made up for it). She can’t imagine what the next few days are going to be like.

It was a long walk since it was a big campus, but it had been worth it. In her school, there were a lot of trees – cherry blossoms mostly, lifting the dull mood of the school’s grey tone, one in particular, faced a wide sports field. That was her favorite tree, her favorite spot, especially during these occasions. It was her haven of some sort. She had found it one day as she wandered around her new school as a freshman. Since then, she comes here often to relax, have lunch with Segumi, or take a breather.

Settling herself in, legs outstretched before her, she let out a heavy breath, feeling a bit lighter, back hitting against the trunk. Really, it was such a long day. But it was also kind of fun.

All the snacks she’s bought, she set aside. Munching on her fries, she busily attended to her camera checking on the pictures she took, which she’ll then decide which to upload and which to add to her portfolio.

The wind picked up – breezing in the November air, the leaves rustling against each other, gently kissing her skin. Arisa sighed in delight at the cool air, losing herself in the moment, comforted by wonders of nature while in her element.

"Ah, Arisa-chan!"

And then, some brunet waltzes in and disrupts her peace, casually sitting next to her. "Oikawa?! What are you doing here?"

He stretches his body, ignoring her irritation.

"Uwah, it's so peaceful here! Do you mind if I stay with you?"

"As a matter of fact," she screeched, especially when he helped himself with eating _her_ fries. "I do mind!"

"You're so mean, Arisa-chan." He pouts, pointing at her with a fry.

"I'm the bad guy here? Says the guy who up and disrupts my peace!” she bursts at him. “And how did you even know of this place?"

"Hm, hm, that's easy! I'm a mind reader."

"Or you've been following me around," she said monotonously with a roll of her eyes.

"Wha- No!” Oikawa sputtered, incredulously. “This handsome face, stalking you? Blasphemy!"

Her deadpan expression remained, unamused. Defeated, she breaks into a sigh, shoulders dropping. " _Fine_ , you can stay, but keep to your side." she pointed to the other side, which he complied while stealing her fries. She let him, after all, she brought a lot of snacks with her (though some were given to her).

Returning to her camera, she took a quick scan of the photos she took today. There was a lot of fanfare and excitement, and a lot of exciting activities happened, but Arisa was sure to capture the events that really strike the most. But it was hard to choose really, especially when there was so much going on. Aside from photos, she made sure to take reels for the promotional video.

"Wow, that's a nice shot." Oikawa chirped, peering over her shoulder.

Arisa jumped in surprise, bringing both her camera and a hand to her chest while glaring at him. “Gosh, way to give me a scare there.”

Ignoring her outburst, he pointed at her camera, a fry dangling on his mouth. "Neh, Arisa-chan, can you show me the photos you've taken? I always look forward to the new issues, especially to see your photos or article."

Still closing in too close, Arisa juts his side, Oikawa jumps back in surprise. “Say it sooner, geez.”

“Ow! Arisa-chan, that was a dirty move!” The brunet complained, rubbing at his side.

Wordlessly, she held out her camera to him, showing him a few of her pictures from today. Arisa had a very sharp eye to detail and emotion, which made her photos topnotch. He had to lean in to see better, not that she seemed to notice, enthralled at sharing her photos with someone. At each photo, Oikawa would ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ as if he were a child, fascinated with the shots, all while Arisa silently took pride in. She lived for these reactions.

After showing him a good few pictures, she brought her camera down. “And, that’s just about it. You’ll have to wait for the next publication to see the rest.”

“And when will that be?” he tilted his head, eyes bright.

She chewed on her lip, making calculations in her head. “At best, a month or three weeks tops.”

He hummed, satisfied with her answer, before plopping himself on her lap. The action took her by surprise.

"Hey- Oikawa!" But he only hummed more, continually ignoring her as he nestled himself on her lap, like a cat. Feeling defeated, and because she couldn't really escape, she let him be. He seemed to have a knack for picking on her, whenever, wherever.

_Really, this guy._

“By the way, how’s Masato doing?” He asked, referring to Coach Yoshizawa’s oldest child – making him her nephew, who was his nephew’s – Takeru, age.

“Masato?” she hummed in thought. “I hear he’s doing great, at least that’s what Etsuko-nee tells me.” Setting her camera aside, she takes a pack of chocolate sticks, taking one in her mouth. “Wait a minute, you should know better! Don’t you help out at the ‘Little Tykes’?”

“I was keeping an eye out for Takeru!”

Gulping, she gave him a pointed look. “That’s called favoritism, even if he is your nephew.”

To anyone, this may seem like a romantic scene between them – the boy lying in her lap, casually making small talk under a tree. Truly, a cliché, picturesque moment, if only it was ruined by the fact that these two people were exes.

There was always an unspoken agreement between the two, ever since they broke up – nothing was said, nobody brings it up. Arisa was mature like that, she dealt with things calculatedly, that’s what he liked about her.

“Ah,” she perked up a bit, recalling something. “you weren’t at the gymnasium earlier, for that arm wrestling contest, weren’t you?”

“Nope!”

“Where were you?”

Oikawa hummed, putting a hand to his chin in thought. Arisa took another chocolate stick, biting off the uncovered part first, then putting it in her mouth. He smiled at this, it was a strange habit of hers. Unable to help himself, he plants his hands to the ground, pushes himself up and takes a hefty bite of the stick biscuit, their lips nearly touching. Arisa froze, letting what’s left of the piece fall off her mouth. Settling back on her lap, Oikawa takes it in his mouth.

“I was out buying myself some milk bread! Also, I was held up by a few fans on the way.”

Even as he replied, Arisa hadn’t recovered from what he did.

“You look pretty in this angle, Arisa-chan.” He says softly. “Then again, you’ve always been pretty.”

That seemed to bring her back to her senses. She rolled her eyes at his flattery, making Oikawa chuckle, noting the pink on her cheek. Her eyes returned to her camera, hardened and focused. They danced with a strange glint, which is almost fascinating to watch.

Another thing he liked about her was her eyes – grey-blue, not clear blue like that of her cousin’s, but grey-blue, a rather unique color. They were so gentle yet so alive, like the ocean – mysterious and calm, almost dangerous to test as she could be a tempest in the making, as they say, ‘still waters run deep’. It was expressive, in a way.

"Hey, Arisa-chan." he called out, taking a strand of her dark hair, fiddling it with his fingers. "In your coverage of our games, did you really have to paint us as the villains to Karasuno?"

She froze, looking down at him.

"It's making you sound biased, to be honest, considering Tobio-chan's in Karasuno.” From the tips of her fingers, she felt a little quake, a surge of big sister-instincts kicking in. Twiddling with her hair, he watches in fascination as they slip through his fingers, hands falling to his chest. He sighs, eyes closing. “You know what? Don't answer that, I was just thinking out loud."

Even when he said that, she bit her tongue, holding in a remark. Instead, falls silent, reeling in his words – there was no malice in it, merely an observation, even Kuzunari said the same thing. Exhaling deeply, she puts her camera aside. For some reason, her eyes flew to his left knee, jutting at it with her chin. “How’s your knee?”

He pops one eye open. “Ah, it’s getting better.”

“You should be more careful,” she tells him with a frown. His lips stretch into a smile, eyes falling shut.

“Iwa-chan tells me the same thing.” He said, body getting heavy. Taking a deep breath, in one exhale, he says “It’s sweet that you still care about me, Arisa.” And then, he slowly slips to sleep.

Arisa looked down at him, the sleeping brunet on her lap, a wistful look on her face.

Absentmindedly, she reached down to his dark hair, fingers tentative at first, but gently stroke through his thick hair. Smiling half-heartedly at how peaceful he looked.

_That’s the thing: once you care for someone, you can’t stop._

 

…

 

It was sometime after lunch when Arisa decided to drop by Segumi’s class. Although she was a familiar face, Arisa couldn’t resist peeking into Class 5 like a stranger, frowning at the strange looking costumes. For some reason, their theme today was kind of familiar, but she couldn’t place her finger on how or where, the similarities lie in the earthly toned-colors, intricate designs on their clothes, face paint, hair and pointed ears. _Where has she seen this before?_

“What’cha doing?” a voice asked behind her, snapping her off her thoughts. Turning her head, she finds two tall volleyball players. “Ah, Matsukawa and Hanamaki, yo.”

“Yo,” the two greet back.

“So, what’re you doing here?” the light-haired teen asks, hands stuffed deep in his pockets.

“I could ask you the same thing,” she retorts, arms folded against her chest.

“Hey, I asked first!” declares Hanamaki. “But anyway, I wanted to check on Gumi-chan.”

Arisa narrowed her eyes at him, distrustfully, before letting it drop. “Well, aren’t you a noble friend.”

Hanamaki shrugs, grinning toothily. Arisa points two fingers to her eyes, then swings it to Hanamaki, repeatedly as a warning. Matsukawa cranes his head, looking inside. “This…aren’t they elves or something?”

“That’s right, from Lord of the Rings.”

Arisa slammed a fist to her palm, a light bulb going off in her head. “Ah! So that’s what is was!”

“Oh? Takahiro-kun, Matsukawa-kun, and Arisa!” came Segumi’s sweet voice, rushing out to greet them. “Welcome!”

As one, the trio turns to her, in for a shock – her dark hair was curled up a bit, flowing behind her, a crown nestled on her hair and donning an elegant-looking dress, completing the look were a pair of elf ears (that looked way too real). The way she approached them felt like a scene fresh from the movie, the three felt like they should bow before her.

“Eh? What’s with the look on your faces?”

“Uh, just…” Arisa started, discreetly taking a photo of her friend. “You surprised us, is all.”

“Ah, Gumi-chan, you’ve grown up so fast…” cried her childhood friend, looking like a proud parent. Matsukawa gave her a thumbs up, approving.

“Thank you,” she says, bashfully. A second later, she reverts back into character. “table for three?”

“Five, please.” The light-haired teen raises five fingers to her.

“Huh?” Arisa turns up to him in surprise.

“Oikawa and Iwaizumi are on their way,” Hanamaki says simply. “and they wanted to try how good this place was, us included. Plus," he takes hold of the brunette, hugging her close. "I want to see my Gumi-chan in her cute outfits!”

“But why fi-“

“Ah, there they are.” Matsukawa spots the two, who seemed to be bickering (per usual).

Upon spotting the three, Oikawa flashes a grin. “Yahoo, Arisa-chan!” he greeted her with his signature smile, who nods in turn. “Oh! Tanaka-chan, you look beautiful!”

The brunette blushed, fiddling with her sleeve. “Thank you, Oikawa-kun.”

Iwaizumi was taken back, eyes wide as saucers, blood rushing to his cheeks, unable to say anything to her.

As Segumi lead them to their seat, the four watched his reaction in amusement, knowing that that was the exact reaction they expected after seeing the bespectacled girl in costume.

“For today, I’ll be serving you.” She says, rather elegantly. “What would you like?”

“But before anything else, are you wearing contacts?” Arisa asked, resting her chin on her folded hands.

“Yes…” she sighed, blinking. “Ichinose-kun insisted on it. Although, I’m not used to it.”

Without her glasses, Segumi’s eyes looked bigger, her doe-shaped eyes more prominent, fitting the elf aesthetic quite well.

“By the way, I’ve been wondering this for the longest time, but Tanaka, haven’t you considered contact lenses?” Matsukawa asked, leaning his head against his palm. Beside him, Hanamak buried his nose into the menu – especially the desserts section.

Segumi laughed nervously, hands playing with the ends of her sleeve. “Um, no. I’ve had glasses for as long as I can remember. And honestly?” she tugs at her sleeve. “I’m scared of having things inserted in my eyes.”

“How long did they put the contacts?” Arisa asked, half-jokingly.

Segumi frowned at her, cheeks burning. However, she mumbled her answer under her breath. “T-Ten minutes…”

“Either way, my Gumi-chan looks adorable with _or_ without glasses.” Hanamaki loudly declared, Iwaizumi unconsciously nodding his head in agreement.

“Iwa-chan, why aren’t you part of this?” Oikawa turned to the spiky-haired teen accusingly. “You should be ashamed!”

“A-Ah, Iwaizumi-kun has done so much already!” Frantically, Segumi was quick to defend him. “He helped bring the chairs and tables in, doing all the heavy work!”

“Still, it’s not fair to Tanaka-chan!”

“Shittykawa just wants an excuse to see me in costume and call me a peasant.” Iwaizumi muttered, glaring daggers at his friend, cheeks pink.

“Not true!” Everyone at the table thought otherwise.

This little banter went on until they finally placed their order. When Segumi turns to leave, the three players turn to tease the ace. After all, it wasn’t every day they get to see her without her glasses.

“Uwah, Iwa-chan’s in love!” Oikawa says happily, sighing, resting his face against his palms. “Who would’ve thought that our Iwa-chan would be this in love with a girl!” Alarmed at his choice of words, Iwaizumi quickly slammed his hand on the setter’s mouth.

“ _Keep your voice down, Crappykawa_!” he said, menacingly, threateningly.

Across them, Arisa shook her head at the two. It’s nice to see that some things just don’t change with time. Really, nothing’s changed between them, it’s like she never left middle school.

While waiting for their food, the group made small talk, about academics, volleyball, and the little things. Arisa easily slipped off the moment they discussed volleyball matters, even outside the court, they were such junkies. Though she could understand bits of their conversation, it was still tiring to hear. So, she busied herself with her camera, going through the pictures. And soon enough, their order arrived.

In between bites, they were still going on about volleyball – plays, and strategies they could use, their opponents, and stuff. Every once in a while, they’d ask Arisa’s opinion on a certain topic (sports-related) and she’d answer as best she could.

After they finish eating and were just paying the bills, Iwaizumi was called up by their Class Representative, asking if he could pick up some ingredients. Iwaizumi willingly obliged. With Iwaizumi gone, that left the four of them - Arisa, Oikawa, Matsukawa and Hanamaki.

She didn't know how it happened - but one minute, she was just hanging around the guys, like the typical high school students they were, enjoying the cultural festival, checking the different booths around campus, and stopping by to watch her videos being displayed by the information booth.

"Ah, that's the sports fest, right?" the light-haired teen asked, which was replied with a nod from Matsukawa. Although she's already seen it - heck, she even edited it - she couldn't help but watch it again, along with the reactions on people's faces.

Students from different schools stop and stared, taking in the video. Arisa watched them from the corner of her eye, reading their expressions. Beside her, Oikawa turned to her, complimenting the music choice of the video, how it complements the theme of the festival well. Upon hearing that, several bystanders looked her way, impressed by her work. Arisa couldn't help the brim of pride swelling over her.

The next thing she knew, she and Oikawa were cuffed together much to Arisa’s displeasure, after all, she was a busy girl. Oikawa, on the other hand, although surprised, like her, was not elated at the idea, all courtesy of Hanamaki and Matsukawa.

“Oh, you motherfuckers- “

Hanamaki sticks his tongue out playfully, he and Matsukawa flashing peace signs before running off. "Have fun, you two!"

“Hey, wait! How long do we have to be like this!?”

A smiling girl from a nearby booth approached them, telling them that they had an hour. No matter how much she tried, pleading for her cause, the girl would shake her head and hide the key away. Beside her, Oikawa was strangely silent. Arisa glared at him, who only looked as helpless as she was.

Lest to say, it wasn't a good day.

When she was called in by Kuzunari to report to the Executive Committee for an emergency, it was hard making a run for it with a tall teen behind her. It was annoying having to explain their situation to the student council and the Press Club. It was hard enough to cover the event with a childish captain and to endure all the stares and whispers wherever she went. Let alone, go to the toilet.

Like Iwaizumi the day before, she was thinking of the thousand ways to kill both Hanamaki _and_ Matsukawa, making sure to hide their bodies.

Oikawa, on the other hand, was inwardly pleased, seemingly enjoying his time spending an hour with his ex, whom he was still in love with.

True, he was annoyed at first, his plans interrupted. But those plans were just seamless dates with girls within his fan club, just mindless dates to pass up the time. Being with Arisa, however, was more than a mindless date.

In a way, it was a great experience to see her work close-up. Her intense concentration when taking a photo, almost likening to when she was in court. It was nice to know that she never really outgrew her little quirks - like how she scrunched up her nose at something she didn't like, how she played with her hair when in thought, or the tranquil look on her face when she was watching something interesting.

It would make him an ass if he'll admit that he particularly enjoyed people looking their way, hearing comments on what a cute couple they were and how Arisa's admirers shied away from the very sight of him. It was time well spent.

(He made a note to thank those two later)

 

…

 

On the last day of the festival, there was the ever annual, cliché bonfire and fireworks. As much as she enjoyed the bonfire, she wasn’t a fan of fireworks. Which is why she decided to spend her remaining hours in the club room, working on sorting her photos and the promotional video that the Executive Committee requested.

“Senpai, are you sure you don’t want to watch?” Fujiwara turned to her worriedly, Kuzunari next to her. The rest of the club members had gone off ahead.

Truth be told, as much as she'd love to - being her last year, but yesterday's incident was such a scene. So as much as possible, she wanted to lay low and avoid whatever nosy person she'd run into. Rumors started flying, minutes after they were spotted!

“I’ll be fine right here.” She called back without turning, currently trimming the video. “Ah, do me a favor and take lots of shots, alright?”

“Okay!”

“Then, see you later~”

Once by her lonesome, she let out a relieved breath. Oh, she loved her clubmates, don’t be mistaken, but she also loved her peace. It was easier working that way. She was sure she'd hear from Segumi, who hated how she overworked herself.

Stretching her limbs over her head, tilting her head to the side, cracking her bones, she quickly went back to work.

Reviewing each video individually, deciding which was a good video, which would be used, and what music she could integrate it with. Out the window, she could faintly hear students happily going on about the upcoming bonfire and fireworks, building up the hype.

 _Ah, what a time to be so young._ She thought, analyzing the videos from her underclassmen.

Thankfully, she had brought along some snacks with her, and Kuzunari – or was it Yamamoto or Fujiwara – brought some snacks as well. Homemade, if you don’t mind. Meaning, Arisa didn’t have to leave the clubroom for food. Unless she needed to go to the toilet.

And what’s more, she’d go for bonfire over fireworks any day. As pleasing as fireworks were, they were an ear sore, and she hated having to crane her head up to just watch it, not to mention the damage it does to the environment.

But Takeru loved fireworks.

She sighed, eyes drifting out the window – a dark night blanketing the skies, dusted by a plethora of stars, and the moon, shining down on all. _Look at me, whining like an old lady. Takeru, big sister is working herself too hard again, forgive me._ Putting a hand to her face, she huffed at her bangs. _And Tobi wasn't able to visit, I'm sad._

Her phone suddenly rings. Without looking at the caller ID, she picks it up and brings it to her ear, “Hello- “

“ _Arisa-chan?_ ”

She frowned, pushing away from the desk, having to pull her phone from her ear to read the caller ID. Bringing her phone back to her ear, in a calm tone, she says, “Oikawa-san?”

“ _Hello!”_ he answers cheerily, way too cheerily for someone who was given a minute’s worth of reply.

“H-Hi…” She says in turn, unsure what to say. “Can I help you?”

“ _Nothing, just figured I’d give you a call_.” He says nonchalantly, sweetly. “ _It’s pretty packed out here – students and families have camped out here, some have set their picnics, pretty much everyone’s herding around the bonfire like moth to a flame – a big flame._ ”

“I can see that,” she says a matter factually, the clubroom overseeing the whole thing, even though it was slightly covered by the trees. “Sounds like a pretty picture though.”

“ _Where are you, Arisa-chan?”_

“I’m at the clubroom, working.” And because I hate fireworks.

 _“Eh? Isn’t that kind of lonely, though?”_ he whines. _“I mean, everybody’s out here, enjoying the fun while you’re by yourself. Plus, it's our last year!_ ”

She shrugs, even though he wouldn’t see it. “I don’t mind, actually. Besides…” she drags on the silence, stuck in thought. “…it’s best to enjoy things at an arm’s length. Or at least for me.”

A beat of silence, she thought he was going to end the call there. She heard laughter and conversations, from people nearby, everything too amplified.

“ _Then, Arisa_ ,” he said quietly. “ _will you watch the fireworks with me?_ ”

Another beat of silence, Oikawa worried that she’d drop the call. He always knew how to catch her off-guard – on purpose or not.

She took a shaky breath, leaning against the window, watching the crowd beyond the canopy of trees. “Isn’t that what you’re doing already?”

Arisa could feel him smile, his breath hitching, on the other side of the line. She could feel a smile breaking into her face as well.

“By the way, did you know that our class won 2nd best?”

“Who did we lose to?”

“Iwa-chan’s class, of course!” he huffed, angrily. “And that was because of Tanaka-chan!”

She could see her reflection in the mirror, her eyes crinkling when she laughed lightly. “I don’t think that’s the case. Maybe it’s because they went with a unique concept?”

Oikawa blew a raspberry, surely making an offhanded gesture. “ _Oh please_ , cafés are so cliché.”

“So is a haunted house.” She pointed out, balancing her phone over her shoulder.

“We could’ve gone for a haunted space-themed house, but _no_ , it’s not going to work!”

Arisa remembered that meeting well, how much Oikawa whined about the idea. She was rather apathetic at the time, since she wouldn’t be helping out in the first place due to her involvement with the Press Club. “It won’t work, actually, if we look at it financially.”

“ _Arisa-chan, you’re just being mean to me!”_

She shrugged, even though he couldn’t see it. “Hey, I’m just looking at things realistically. But second place sounds good enough for me." He was probably pouting, childishly with his cheeks puffed.

For a guy like him – with great looks, intellect and athletics, he sure was immature. How on earth did he manage to attract the female population again? Sure, he can get away with words and woo the average girl, but he was still so immature he could be sent back to primary school!

“ _Arisa,”_ said Oikawa, breaking her off her reverie. _“it’s starting…”_

A stream of light shot up, like a shooting star, exploding into a vibrant shower of red. On the other line, she heard gasps and awes from the crowd. It was followed by another, a big blue flower painted on the dark canvass. Another followed, two clumps of purple. And another, cyan and white.

“ _The skies look pretty tonight_ ,” despite herself, she smiled, picturing him leaning back, watching the skies bloom. She hummed.

Even when they weren’t at the same place, they were staring at the same sky, enjoying the fireworks together. It was a comforting thought, having to share this moment.

A multitude of colors decorated the sky, one following another, of different shapes and sizes. Arisa couldn’t honestly see the appeal, but they were nice to look at, sort of. Had her godfather been there, he’d scold her for missing out on this.

A shower of sparks filled the sky, illuminating everything as far as the eye can see.

“ _I wish you were here…”_ he whispered, but she heard it.

 _But I am._ She wanted to reply, watching as the sparks die down, almost reminding her of angels falling from the sky. For the nth time, she had to remind herself that things were different now.

 

…

 

_"Hey, Toru?" she called, watching him kiss her fingertips._

_His eyes opened, revealing twin pools of dark brown eyes that reminded her of hot chocolate during a cold winter's night, or the sun during late afternoons when it's almost twilight - such gentle eyes, gentle and intense, she loved his eyes, the window to one's soul, as they all say._

_"Hm?"_

_"Promise me you won't break my heart?" she whispered, stroking the back of his neck, one of his favorite spots to be touched. His eyes rose to hers, watching her with careful eyes. "Not like the first time?"_

_He paused at that, but didn't let go of her hands, looking up to meet her gaze. The look in his eyes was enough to render her weak, he also saw how fragile she was, how scared and unsure she was of the future - their _future._ Looming over her frame, the blanket slipping off him revealing his naked torso, he stops when he's at her level. _ "I _promise."_

 

...

 

He lied.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So my friend told me as she checked my art of Arisa, or how I depicted her, that she was reminded of Adachi Hana (Yankee to Megane-kun) minus the mole. I was speechless. Because I thought she was more of a Machida Yuki (Namaikizakari), attitude-wise. Huehe /ramblingletmebe  
> So wow, 8.8k words. Did. Not. Expect. That. Honestly, I was just having fun with this chapter. This was a lot of fun fun chapter to write, mostly because it's some nonsense and Hanamaki (who is an absolute delight to write because he's a dork) and teasing Iwaizumi (another major dork) and Kindaichi, that boy's so tall and a stuttering mess (at times) and I can't myself. Also, a bit of shedding of light in the fact that they're high schoolers and they deserve to live a little but of course, there's the inescapable drama. I sort of based Arisa's photography-style off of my (sort of) best friend. (Bro, I miss you even if you'll never see this). Let me know what you think!


	8. vii

**[vii]**

Should anyone ask him, the first time he met Arisa Yoshizawa he would say it was a rather dull introduction. There wasn't any formal introduction, no, he just happened to see her at the park one day, he was practicing volleyball while Iwa-chan was off hunting bugs.

She was climbing a tree - despite the dress she was wearing, and was covered in mud and bruises all over - trying to recover a kite from a branch. Two boys were calling out to her, telling her to be careful. In spite of all this - the danger she was in, regardless of the mess that she was - she wore a smile on her face. And that was when he was six.

Fast forward to middle school.

The next time he saw her, it was during physical education class where they played against each other. It was around this time when Oikawa was really hooked with volleyball. When he met those grey-blue eyes, he realized that it was the same girl all those years ago, except she seemed more mature now, prettier, and  _different_.

As cliché as it may sound, there was just something about her that separates her from the rest of the girls.

He was taken not by her skill, but by her grace, her smile. But that had been it, nothing more than a curiosity over this girl.

They had been classmates for years, but not once have they exchange a proper conversation. Every chance he'd get to watch her, he felt like he was caught under a spell by just her smile. He liked watching her play, watching  _her_.

For some reason, he always liked seeing her smile. That smile of hers was like a panacea - he forgot his insecurities, he forgot that there was someone better than him in terms of skill, he forgot all about wanting to make it to nationals or Ushijima Wakatoshi. All he could think of was how radiant her smile was, how genuine it was, and it had such an effect.

During the playoffs, after a failed dig, her body went barreling on the floor, she was laughing at her mistake - laughing at herself, really. Looking around he noticed its effect - her whole team was smiling with her - even her captain, even when she reprimanded the younger girl, the opposing team, her coach, and their manager, heck, even bystanders were smiling with her! Her smile was  _that_ infectious. Hence, her title of 'The Girl with a Killer Smile'. So many people were captivated by her skill, and most especially her capacity to smile through it all - win or lose.

Inside and outside the court, she had this certain charm on her.

She tries her hardest, always gave her all. She was a force to be reckoned with. He liked her for the sole reason that she was the realest, most honest person he knew. She wore her heart on her sleeve.

So, one day, when he caught her sneaking in their gym, walking into their court to talk to her cousin, he was so distracted by her presence, by how easily she talked to Tobio - jealous even at their closeness, that he unknowingly threw a serve their way. And knowing how accurate his serves were becoming, he frantically called out to her.

Acting on instinct, the raven-haired teen turned, took a step back, and easily received the ball with her forearms, her camera slung to the side to avoid the collision.

Watching the ball bounce back to him, he just stood and stared. When their eyes met, for probably the first time in his life, his heart skipped a beat.

Arisa Yoshizawa was a force to be reckoned with alright.

So, he took it upon himself to reach out on his fascination with her and get to know her.

But the thing was, he was so awkward around her - rambling in her presence, poking at her, he couldn't help himself! It was harder talking to a girl other than or that wasn't his older sister, Aiko.

But when they did talk, it was surprisingly easy - she made it easy. It was as if there was this chemical reaction between them, some cosmic force that wanted this to happen, that the odds were in his favor - whatever it was, he was grateful.

When she was with him, he felt real, with all his flaws and insecurities.

She understood him, challenged him,  _accepted_ him. He can't help but be possessive of her – she seemed to draw people to her whether she knew it or not. Tobio, especially, has her wrapped around his finger.

Arisa broke up with him the first time because he was so consumed by his insecurities – that despite being there for him, it just wasn't enough. That he chose to feed his ego, his insecurities over her, going so far as to take it out on her or Tobio. It was destroying him.

Through the years, he found that no other being on earth could understand him like she could. Sure, he had his best friend, who was a permanent fixture in his life. But no one ever tried to get under his skull, to effortlessly make him feel like she did.

 

...

 

"Yo, Yuu-chan, Akira-chan!" a young teen cried upon entering the gym, heads turning to the entrance as the girls' team entered one by one.

"Ah, Osei." Kunimi greeted monotonously with a nod, much to the shorter girl's chagrin.

"Che, Akira-chan's stingy as ever."

"Y-Yuu-chan?" Kindaichi said in the background, going unnoticed.

"As I recall, we were never friends," Kunimi says when she was close enough, face void of any emotion. "So, I'd appreciate if you stopped calling me 'Akira-chan'."

Hinagiku merely stuck her tongue out childishly before Iwaizumi appeared and broke them off, seemingly used to their little banter. The scene made Arisa smile, it was a familiar scene had Tobio been in the picture.

"Ah, kids, little shits as ever." her cousin says cheerfully as she enters, her belly very evident. Anyone within a three-feet radius who was able to pick on that quickly stepped aside.

"Nee-san, should you really be here?" Arisa asked worriedly as they crossed the gym, Kasumi, the team manager in tow. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Pish posh!" she waved off, free hand rubbing her belly. "Don't wanna be cramped up, lying down doing nothing, I'd rather be here! Nothing gives me life than working these girls to the bone!"

She narrowed her eyes, annoyed at her stubbornness. "The doctor says you shouldn't stress yourself too much."

"I'm not stressed. And besides, who else is gonna chew on the girls when I'm away?" She tells her before heading off to greet the coaches of the boys' team, players steering clear of her. It was laughable to watch, seeing that she was a small woman in a sea of towering bulks of testosterone.

Exchanging a look with Kasumi, she sighed before walking up to the join the girls stretch.

Arisa had kept her promise, dedicating her time and effort to help the team improve. And part of the deal was joining in the practice matches against the boys, even if she wasn't part of the regulars, and for the sole reason that it was Oikawa's request. As much as she wanted no part in it, she had no choice (she didn't want to let the team down). Arisa felt that it was unfair to the regulars to have her play in their place, but they were alright with it, they enjoy watching her play (learning a thing or two from her in the process). And she was an asset to the girl's team.

"It's really a shame that she had to retire early," remarked Iwaizumi, stretching his arms overhead. "she'd have been an amazing player, probably on par with you."

That made Oikawa smile, despite himself. "That's true, she would have. But Arisa-chan's a stubborn girl, once she's set her mind to something, she'll stop at nothing to do it."

The said girl was currently fixing Hinagiku's hair while talking with a few third years, laughing at something they said. He sighed, she had no idea just what that smile did to him.

Sometime soon as they were on the court, she managed to retain her smile even when the girls were in a pinch. The frustration got to them during the first set, seeing as the boys were being aggressive in their play, with the return of the rowdy Kyoutani Kentarou. Even poor Segumi was frustrated! But with the help of her best friend's great command, they kept it together throughout the first set.

Now on the second set, the gears in Arisa's head were spinning taking note of every detail, she's gathered so far. It wasn't easy, for, after all, volleyball was a game of quick decision-making and strategy.

Noting a pattern in their movements, seeing as offense tightened up with Iwaizumi and Kyoutani in the frontlines, Arisa quickly called out to Suzuna, the second-year setter was quick to toss to her. As she jump, she stretched out her hands, readying for a spike but ended up lightly tapping the ball with her fingertips, letting it fall easily on the other side.

Coach Yoshizawa smirked, as did Coach Mizoguchi.

"And there she is," the older woman all but sighed, dramatically. Her younger cousin was smiling alright, but it was something else. "the Girl with a Killer Smile."

With a newfound energy, she somehow managed to revitalize the team, catching everyone on court off guard with her smile. Slowly, but surely, the girls were leading during the second set.

"Oi, Kunimi, keep an eye out, you!" yelled Coach Irihata, while the older coach sat calmly behind him. His eyes locking on the raven-haired teen, who was in the back row. "There's no stopping her when she gets in the zone, is there?" The older man could only shrug, smiling still.

The score was now 15-19, in favor of the girls.

The girls tensed up, seeing as it was Oikawa's turn to serve, something to gain the upper hand. Arisa unconsciously tugged at her arm sleeve, waiting, watching the brown-haired teen from the opposite court.

He twirls the ball in his hands as if familiarizing the feel of it beneath his fingers, twirling it in the air, catches it, and does it again. At the whistle, Oikawa tosses the ball up, his body makes a quick run for it, knees swinging back, body arched, and swings back his right hand as the ball falls perfectly into his hand.

Quick to read its trajectory, seeing the direction of his serve, Segumi quickly whipped her head back. "Arisa!"

Before she had even called out, Arisa was quick to respond, receiving the ball with her forearms, wincing a bit at the power it held. As she glanced up, she met his gaze, his smirk - he did it on purpose.

Having successfully sent the ball to the other court, the boys moved in almost perfect synchronization. At Hanamaki's spike, Segumi was quick to touch it, giving the girls a chance. It was a mad relay, an almost never-ending tossing from each court. That is until Arisa called out to Suzuna once more, the second year didn't hesitate to toss to her and with unprecedented force, spiked the ball in, narrowly missing Oikawa's head.

He met her smirk, having returned the favor, his pride hurt. Just a little bit. And to be honest? He was a little turned on.

"Oi," A sharp jut to his side brought him back to reality, meeting steely olive hues from his best friend. "quit shitting around and get your head in the game, Shittykawa."

"You don't have to hit me so hard, Iwa-chan!" he complained, watching from the corner of his eye at the girls who ran up to Arisa and the second-year setter.

True, he was playing around to get her riled up, but it was worth it. After all, this was one of the few moments he'd ever see her play again. Seeing Arisa play for what seemed like forever was a sight to see, which is why he was adamant on having her play during practice matches. It was all just a ploy to see her play again.

What gets her blood pumping are surprised comebacks, it was her known streak - if the team they were playing against was particularly strong, she'd let them win the first set and get back at the second set or let them score a few. She loved seeing the surprised look on their faces after making a comeback. And he loved seeing her in her element.

Just, he loved seeing the look of satisfaction cross her face, breaking into that killer smile of hers – it just never fails to make his heart skip.

 

...

 

_Standing abruptly, cutting the man off, she threw him a glare, beside him, the older man stared at his tea, the black and white corgi resting under the coffee table, blissfully unaware of the tension filling the room._

_"I thought you were over that stage, clearly I was wrong."_

_"Arisa, don't raise your voices at us."_

_Her hands balled into fists, nails digging into her skin. "And why not?" she practically spat. "I'm not talking back, I'm just defending myself, there's a difference. Then again," she scoffed, face twisting. "how would you know? You neither cared nor bothered when it came to me because of something as trivial as gender."_

_"Don't you use that tone on me, young lady!" her father stood from his seat, her grandfather shoots up a hand to his arm, stopping him. Arisa didn't look away, didn't quiver under her father's gaze._

_"No,_ you  _can't stop me!" her voice grew strained, from the anger. "You can't tell me what to do and what_ not  _to do, I'm not your little puppet, I'm your daughter, damn it!"_

_"Arisa!"_

_"Then again, did you even care? I bet you didn't, right? I bet you wanted me dead the moment I was born!"_

_"Arisa!" It was her grandfather this time, alarmed at his granddaughter's choice of words._

_She shook her head, all form of logic churning as she jeered at him venomously. "What a disappointment to the family, right? The oldest son couldn't bear a son even when his wife's lineage is nearly as identical as his only to have a girl as a firstborn? That's why to compensate for it, you want to marry me off! You didn’t want to be a disappointment that you already are!"_

_A sharp crack resounded throughout the room, silence filling in before it was followed by Nagasaki's bark. The pup specifically barked at Yoshizawa patriarch, at his raised hand._

_Grey-blue eyes widened in shock, her cheek throbbing in pain._

_Her father's name rang through, coming from her grandfather as Nagasaki continued to bark. Shocked at his actions, her father approached, about to apologize before Arisa turned on her heel and ran._

 

...

 

_"Ah, finally it's summer break!" jostled Hanamaki, falling on his back to his sheets, his three other companions were sprawled on the floor of his room._

_"You say that," Iwaizumi muttered under his breath. "but there's a lot to be done."_

_"Tut, tut, don't ruin the mood, Hajime-kun!"_

_Currently, they were at Hanamaki's to stave off whatever hell was left of a dreary day at school - they couldn't wait for summer, to get away from all the academic mess and just enjoy, have fun, and more importantly, play some volleyball._

_Soon, the quartet found themselves playing Mario Kart, the four either screaming, laughing, or spouting threats as one ousted the other._

_"HNGHHHHH, try and beat me now, Iwaizumi!"_

_"Don't get cocky, Hanamaki!"_

_"Gah! That was a dirty move, Mattsun!"_

_Wordlessly, Matsukawa took on the last lap, the rest of the three following after him. He grinned victoriously, arms spread to his sides like he was graced by the gods. "Kiss it, losers."_

_"Fuck you, dude, you cheated!" Hanamaki pointed the controller at him accusingly._

_Oikawa whined, defeated. "Gah, next round!"_

_Full of determination, Iwaizumi roared. "You're all going down!"_

_With the boys were glued to their game, cursing and yelling, there was a knock at the door, the doorknob twisting, Segumi Tanaka's figure popping in, holding a tray filled with juice and some home baked goods._

_"Gumi-chan!" the wing spiker cried happily at the sight of his childhood friend, Iwaizumi noticeably straightened up._

_"Sorry for the intrusion," she says, setting the tray down on a small table before settling between Oikawa and Matsukawa, unaware of a pair russet eyes watching her. A shove on his shoulder from Oikawa told Iwaizumi that he was being too obvious._

_"You're not intruding anything!" assured the light-haired teen, pausing the game as he lay on his stomach to ruffle her hair affectionately. "After all, it's been a while since we hung out."_

_"But we live right next door, Takahiro-kun." The brunette smiled at him, pushing her glasses back._

_"Ah, that's right, Makki and Tanaka-chan are childhood friends, right?" Oikawa queried, taking a pillow and hugging it to his chest. "Just like me and Iwa-chan!"_

_"I feel so left out," Matsukawa muttered, reaching for a glass._

_"You're not missing out much, Matsukawa." Iwaizumi says, reaching for a glass to distract himself. "Childhood friends are a hassle, take Oikawa for example, he's such a pain."_

_"Hey!" complained the brunet, nearly choking on his drink._

_"Sorry, I mean, he's_ always  _a pain." Iwaizumi corrected, casually drinking his drink._

_"Iwa-chan, that's not very nice!"_

_"I know how you feel," Tanaka agrees with him. "Takahiro-kun can be a bit of a handful sometimes. Some days, I think he's a kid trapped in a teenage boy's body."_

_"I'd take offense to that, if only you weren't my friend, Gumi-chan." Hanamaki puts a hand to his chest, feigning hurt. "As revenge, you guys have to see this!" Taking his phone from his pocket, he presents a video of him and Tanaka, dancing to_ some anime song _._

_"Takahiro-kun you still have that!?" Tanaka cries in mortification, cheeks pink._

_"Of course, I do! It's one of our golden moments!" Tanaka only flushes harder, too embarrassed to look up._

_"Ah! How cute!" cooed Oikawa, watching the younger version of his friends dance in perfect sync to the music – a strange, bubblegum pop song that could definitely be from an anime. Makki's hair was longer then, in some bowl haircut, while Tanaka's hair was in pigtails._

_"Boy, you got moves." Matsukawa complimented as they swayed their hips to the side, hands on either side of their heads._

_"Thanks, babe."_

_Iwaizumi was strangely silent, eyes glued to Hanamaki's phone as the video played, cheeks pinking. When the video ended, Tanaka shoved her childhood friend and buried her burning face into her hands._

_"Hey, Gumi-chan, we should recreate that video, it's been five years since!"_

_"No!"_

_"You're so cute, Gumi-chan!" laughed Hanamaki, wrapping his arms around the blushing brunette._

_"Iwa-chan, why don't we have a video like that? That's not fair, and we've been friends forever!"_

_"How is_ that _unfair? I'd rather be caught dead than do some stupid video with you."_

_"How cruel!"_

_"Again: I feel so left out."_

_Laughter erupted into the room, reassuring smiles offered to the messy-haired teen. While his friends began to talk among themselves, Oikawa takes out his phone and fiddles through his social media account, half-listening to his friends talking, scrolling through the feeds. Decidedly, Hanamaki invites Matsukawa to play a fighting-game with him, while Tanaka and Iwaizumi watch, occasionally making small talk. Somedays, Oikawa just wanted to smack some sense into his friend._ Really, Iwa-chan was such a slow guy.

 _A loud ringing resounded, sounding off from Segumi. The bespectacled teen squeaked –_ literally _squeaked in surprise – it sounded cute, actually. And apparently, Iwaizumi thought so as well, as his cheeks colored. The brunette excused herself, quickly taking her phone from her bag, a look of confusion crosses her face at the caller on screen. With a click, she brought her phone to her ear. "Hello, Auntie?"_

_Oikawa laughed at some joke Hanamaki threw at Iwaizumi, Matsukawa teasingly ruffling on the ace's hair, the poor boy still couldn't get over Tanaka's cute squeak._

_"Arisa?" His ears perked at the mention of her name. "I'm sorry, but she's not with me right now. She told me she had to head home early because her dad had something to talk about." Noticing the drift in her tone, Oikawa carefully listened in, seeing the worry grow on the girl's face._

_"Eh? Arisa's missing?" her voice rose, garnering the attention of everyone in the room._

_He froze, heart dropping to his stomach._

_"Since when? How long has she been missing? Almost five hours!? Auntie, please calm down!" there were hard sobs on the other line, coming from a distressed mother, just hearing her cry made Segumi panic even more. "Have you tried checking with Coach Yoshizawa? Eh? How about at the Kageyama's? She's not there either!? Alright, I'll try and help look for her, ask around some classmates. For the meantime, please calm down, Auntie." Even as she said this, Segumi put a hand to her mouth, biting her nails, trying to calm her breathing as she clicked off._

_"Yoshizawa's missing?" Iwaizumi quickly asked._

_Segumi nodded, face contorting into a worried expression. "Apparently, she had a disagreement with her father and ran off." Worriedly, she looked at her phone, noting how late it was. Still, she stood up, making for the door. "I'll look for her."_

_"Gumi-chan, wait!" Hanamaki stood up, chasing after her._

_The other three exchanged glances before following after them, seeing Segumi standing in the hallway, on the phone, Hanamaki watching his friend worriedly._

_"Hello, Kaede? Have you seen Arisa?" Silence, her face hopeful, but her shoulders slump. "I see. Thank you." Clicking off, she quickly dials another number. "Hello, Kuzunari-kun? It's Tanaka. Have you seen Arisa, by any chance?" A pause. Her eyes fell shut at Kuzunari's response, Segumi growing frustrated. "I…see, thank you."_

_Before she could dial another number, Iwaizumi steps in, holding her wrist. "Tanaka, stop."_

_The bespectacled teen looks up, eyes glossy, lip quivering. It was enough to make him panic, weak to seeing people sad or hurt. Steeling his nerves, he cupped her shoulders. "Breathe, okay? Just breathe."_

_She did as she was told, body calming a bit. She muttered thanks, lip still quivering. Seeing as she was still in a state of shock, he quickly assists her to sit in the living room. She gripped on her skirt, worriedly._

_"What are we going to do? What's gonna happen to Arisa?"_

_Hanamaki's mother appeared from the kitchen, joining the young girl on the couch and wraps an arm around her. "Gumi-chan, calm down. We'll find her."_

_"What if we don't?" came Segumi's shaky voice, her eyes filled with so much panic, distress, and sadness for her missing best friend. A shaky breath escaped her mouth as she tried to calm her breathing like Iwaizumi told her to earlier._

_"We will," came Oikawa's voice, firm. "For the meantime, we'll ask around."_

_"I'll come, too- "Segumi gestures to stand, but was stopped by Hanamaki._

_"Gumi-chan, I think it's best if you stay here."_

_"B-But- "_

_"You're in no condition to go looking for her." At that, the brunette hung her head low. The light-haired teen sighs didn't mean to sound mean, merely stating the truth. Stretching his hand outwards, he lightly ruffled her hair – to assure her. "The least you can do is make calls and assure Yoshizawa's mom. Leave it to us, okay?"_

_Segumi hummed, wiping her eyes, pushing her glasses up. Hanamaki's mother tightened her hold on the young girl._

_Splitting up, the four teens went around asking people and showing pictures of Arisa, but to no avail. What made the search harder was the fact that she hadn't brought her phone with her. Everyone relied on asking around, showing her picture, hoping that someone spotted her._

_They tried looking for her in convenient stores, the mall, train stations, shops, and parks – but nothing. Segumi would call them, worriedly asking about their search, in turn, would update of the others' progress._

_The skies darkened above them, the temperature dropping._

_It was already over six hours since her disappearance, three, since her mother called Tanaka, and still, nothing. Iwaizumi had called, telling him to come back to Hanamaki's – he, Matsukawa and Hanamaki came empty handed. But Oikawa couldn't stop, didn't want to, he had to find her, needed to._

_Panting heavily, Oikawa wiped the sweat off his lip, heart was beating hard against his chest. The cool wind blew on his face, drying the sweat on his face, hair flying everywhere. He slumped on the railing, this was the fifth stop, and still no sign of her. Seriously, where was she!?_

_He was staring at the bus that drove by before it clicked into him. It was a hunch, but he thought he'd give it a try._

 

...

 

_Trees lined and filled the park, as was the usual aesthetic and making of a park, he couldn't help but think that possibly, they sheltered to secrets, memories. Crossing the area, he swore he could hear a grunted voice yelling at a whining one, the sound of boys crying out to a girl to be careful._

_The beating of his heart resounded in his ears, filling the silence of the empty Kotodai Park - it was after hours, after all, nobody should be here at this hour. And nobody was expected, or stupid enough, to stay out in this chilly weather._

_And yet, here she was – sitting on the foot of the stairs, facing the stone waterfall, staring blankly into space, still in uniform, hugging her knees close to her chest._

_Shoulders sagged as he heaved a heavy sigh in relief before noticing that she was shivering - from the cold or from the emotions wrecking her, he didn't know. Walking down the steps, Oikawa stared at the stone waterfall, following the flow with his eyes, knowing that it was a natural flow and not man-made._

_Without even looking, she asked, "How did you know I was here," her voice was quiet as if talking to the wind._

_Sitting a step above her, keeping a respectable distance, he sighed. "Wild guess." He inhaled the air – crisp spring lingered with a warm feel of the upcoming summer, exhaling the heat from all that running on his search for her. "For a second, I thought you'd be at your brother's grave."_

_"It's too far." she replied against her knees, running her thumb over her skin._

_He hummed, silence lingering._

_After a beat, he asked. "Why didn't you tell me that they're still pestering you?"_

_"I didn't think it was important," she shrugged. "And besides, it's my drama, I don't want to drag you into it."_

_"I want to if it's bothering you."_

_The thought that he was there with her made her remember just how perceptive he was. And though he sat behind her, she could faintly smell his cologne - unnaturally comforting. "Then you're not going to like what they have planned for me." He turned to her, getting his full attention. She paused, hands loosening its hold. "They want to set me up."_

_The soft gush of water, car horns sounding off in the distance – all filled the silence. A soft whisper of the wind blowing in, trees rustling in the distance._

_"With who?" His voice strained slightly._

_She sighed, tucking her chin in. "...I don't remember, I blanked out right after dad said he was proposing that I meet up with a family friend's son."_

_Letting the weight of her words sink, his eyes fell shut. In one exhale, he leaned back, putting weight on his palms. "Didn't realize how complicated your family is."_

_She laughs without humor. "Well, now you know..."_

_"But it explains a lot, especially with how welcoming they were towards me." Strange how they were so welcoming of him, smothering him with attention compared to their own daughter. It didn't take him a while to pick up on that, but he just ignored it for the sake of Arisa, who seemed very uncomfortable in the presence of her parents, sometimes she seemed distressed._

_Strands of wayward hair clung to her face, sticking thanks to the tears she spilled hours ago. Noticing that she was shivering, he took a step down, taking off his jacket and wrapping it around her._

_She looked up, meeting his gaze. His heart broke at the sight of her dull eyes. He offered a small smile, gently taking her wrists, tugging her up. "Come on, let's get you home."_

_She shook her head, pulling her hands from his hold. "...I... I don't want to go home."_

_He frowned but didn't argue. "You have to, your mom's worried about you, she was literally crying when she called up Tanaka-chan. And Tanaka-chan's just as worried."_

_She hid her face in her arms, weakly begging. "Please, I don't want to go home just yet."_

_He sighs, surrendering, nodding slowly. "Where do you want to go then?"_

_Arisa was quiet for a while, slowly standing up, biting on her lips unconsciously. Her answer was barely a whisper, feeling guilty for dragging him into her mess. But he took her hand in his, leading the way. Through the night, she clung onto his hand, out of fear of losing track or to assure herself that he was with her – he didn't know._

_And yet, he squeezed back, assuring her that he was with her._

_Oikawa made sure to give a quick call to Arisa's mother, informing her of her daughter's safety and situation. Relieved, she cried, thanking him countless times (Arisa refused to call her family). As promised, he didn't take her home that night. Instead, after a rough explaining to a very worried Segumi, concerned Hanamaki, Matsukawa, and Iwaizumi, and a quick phone call, he brought her over to his home. The walk home had been awkward – even though Iwaizumi kept a respectable distance and silence._

_Upon arrival, Aiko, his older sister, greeted them at the door._

_Arisa had already met the older Oikawa – pretty, just like her brother, with short, dark, curly locks, a small face, pointed nose, and small plump lips. Aiko welcomed her warmly, eyes shining at the sight of her._

_"Arisa? Is that really you?" the older woman exclaimed at the sight of her, the younger girl simply smiled as her response._

_"Good evening, Aiko-nee." She bowed slightly._

_"Wow, it's been a while! Look at you, all grown up and ladylike with a pretty face. Ah, and you're taller than me now! You brats just keeping getting taller." A frown creeps on her face, frustrated. At 27, she was a meager five feet five. "Except for this brat." She says, patting Takeru's head._

_"Mom!" the boy cried._

_Laughing, Aiko wrapped an arm around the boy's shoulders, patting his cheek with her free hand. "I'm joking, please don't grow up so fast."_

_Arisa eyed the little boy – Takeru, smiling faintly. He met her gaze before hiding behind his mother. They laughed._

_Oikawa quickly phoned Arisa's family, assuring her that she was well-taken care of. While he was doing so, Aiko let Arisa bathe, seeing how disheveled the girl was. As Arisa bathed, her clothes were washed. Aiko lent her clothes to the younger teen._

_Emerging from the bath, a towel around her neck, Arisa sighed heavily._

_"How was your bath?" asked Aiko, who stood in front of her._

_Nodding slowly, Arisa's hands dropped to her side. "Um, good."_

_"That's good to hear. By the way, you'll be sleeping with Takeru, is that okay?"_

_The dark-haired girl nods meekly, keeping her head low to avoid her eyes, fiddling with the hem of her borrowed shirt. "Aiko-nee, thank you so much. And…I'm sorry for the intrusion-"_

_"Don't give me that, you're always welcome here."_

_Ruffling her head, she brought her close, putting her head on her chest. "I'm not one to meddle into people's problems, but always know that you're always welcome here, Arisa."_

_Not meaning to eavesdrop on them, Oikawa remained where he was, in the kitchen, about to call Arisa to eat. Instead, he slumped against the wall, smiling._

_"...thank you, nee-san."_

 

...

 

_Oikawa was just exiting his room, intending to grab a glass of water when he heard hushed whispers coming from his nephew's room, the door slightly ajar – the young boy insisted on it. Okay, that was the second time today. But he couldn't help it, his heart warmed at the thought of how Arisa got along swimmingly with his family._

_"Nee-san, can I ask you something?" A short moment of silence, Oikawa assumed Arisa nodded her head. "Are you Tooru's girlfriend?"_

_Something akin to a scoff sounded from her, her voice gentle as she spoke. "No, I'm not. I'm just a friend."_

_"You don't look like it," says his nephew, unabashed. "he was looking at you funnily. And not the same way he looks at his girlfriends."_

_"You sure know a lot of things about your uncle." She laughed, subtly shifting the subject._

_"He's always around," Takeru says simply, with a shrug he presumed. "And he's always taking care of me when mom, dad, grandpa, and grandma's not around, but he's also kind of clingy. And a bit obnoxious." A laugh, short and breathless. "And he's a great volleyball player, too!"_

_"...you really look up to your uncle, don't you?"_

_Takeru was silent for a moment. "Don't tell him." His nephew says in a small voice, embarrassed._

_"I promise." She says warmly. "In fact, I pinky promise."_

_Oikawa smiled. Leaning his shoulder against the wall, he imagined her wrapping her pinky with his nephew's smaller one. She was a firm believer of such childish practices._

_"Nee-san, are you crying?"_

_Oikawa frowned, controlling himself as he hears her sniffle. "Oh darn, yeah I am... sorry." A short breathless laugh, against the tears. "Just, you have the same name as my little brother."_

_"Your little brother? Where's your little brother?"_

_She paused, before continuing softly, shakily. "He's gone now."_

_Takeru grew quiet, as if embarrassed. "…I'm sorry."_

_"It's okay, you didn't know. By the way, do you know the meaning of your name?"_

_"Names have meanings?"_

_She laughed again. "Of course, they do! Mine, for one, doesn't mean much but 'there is sand'."_

_"Weird."_

_"I know, right? But after a little research, I found out that in another language, Arisa also means ‘noble’."_

_"Cool! It kind suits you. So, what does mine mean?"_

_"Hmm, as I recall, Takeru means 'noble', 'fierce', 'warrior' and 'noble'. But that depends on how you write it."_

_"I see! Awesome!" they laugh, Takeru suddenly breaks into a yawn._

_"Are you comfortable?" came Arisa's hushed voice, tender, and kind. His nephew hummed in response, tiredly._

_Takeru must've fallen asleep, because soon after, Arisa was humming gently, lulling him to sleep. Oikawa remained as her humming became softer and softer until she slowly succumbed to sleep. Quietly, he crossed the hall, down the stairs._

_Reaching the kitchen, he finds his sister drinking wine. She poured herself another drink, swirling on its contents, the smell of imported wine filling the room._

_"Taking a nightcap?"_

_Looking up from her drink, the older sibling regarded the younger boy. "When am I not?"_

_Nodding, he plucks a glass from the shelves, walks to the sink, and pours himself a glass. With his back against the sink, taking a sip as he stares off the darkened room, their house was rather lonely without their parents._

_"Our parents send their regards, and that grandma is alright," Aiko reports, as if hearing his thoughts, recalling her phone call with their parents._

_Humming, he lowers his glass, meeting her gaze. "What did they say about Arisa staying the night?"_

_Setting her drink down, Aiko rests her face on her propped hand. "They were alright with it. Although mom's mad she couldn't get to see Arisa as she is now, so is dad."_

_He smiled at that, filling his glass again. "Did Hirose call?" he asked, referring to her husband, who was currently taking his masters in London, hence, the imported wine._

_Daintily drinking her wine, Aiko held out her glass, flexing out her pinky. "As you can see. Want a drink?"_

_"I'm good." He holds out his half-empty glass._

_Aiko scoffs, leering at her younger brother. "Bullshit. You'd rather have beer, don't you?"_

_Placing a hand to his chest, feigning hurt. "Nee-san, I'm appalled you would think of me that way!"_

_"Tooru, you're a healthy 16-year old boy, so_ yes _, I_ do _think of you that way." Nonchalantly, she took another sip, cherishing in the sweet taste. "And besides, I gave you your first beer."_

_"Fair enough." Yawning, he quickly fills his glass, intending to bring it with him to his room. "Well, I'm going to hit the sack now. Good night, Aiko-nee-san."_

_Watching his retreating form bathe in darkness, Aiko called out. "Tooru," he turned his head, just slightly. Aiko fiddled with her fingers, mentally debating whether she should or not, but she did anyway. "you still like her, right?"_

_He blinked once, twice, the silence stretching as her question sank in his head. Oikawa looks out the window, stares off the dusted night sky, sighing. "I never stopped."_

 

...

 

_"Yoshizawa, what were you doing at Oikawa-san's house?" asked a voluptuous girl, her hair dyed light-blonde, arms crossed against her chest._

_"What are you talking about?"_

_"Don't act dumb, Mio-chan saw you leave his house!" snorted a redheaded girl._

_Said girl was a petite girl with luscious hair tied into a side-bun, glowering at her. "That's right! Why were you at Oikawa-san's?"_

_"Answer us!"_

_In her three years of being associated with Oikawa (including the year they broke up), this was probably the first-time fans came to her directly. Normally, she was just a name to them – a person who was once associated with their precious Oikawa Tooru. But now, after what happened that summer, things got personal (at least for them). And wow, it was just the second week of the first semester! What a way to welcome her sophomore year!_

_"And it was the end of the classes!" another said, making Arisa feel uncomfortable. Wow, they have such great memory, not to mention, sleuthing skills – were all fans like this?_

_"Well, why aren't you saying anything?"_

_She sighed, fiddling with her camera strap, staring at the blue water behind them. What_ should _she say? What_ can  _she say? Even if she did tell them, they wouldn't understand. And they probably didn't know that his sister was around._

_"Oh, I see." The light-blonde's tone changed, almost twistingly. "Don't think you have us fooled, you want to get back with Oikawa-san, don't you?"_

_Arisa sputtered. "Excuse me!?"_

_Understanding fell upon the the other two, angrily turning to her. "That must be it! After all, you're his ex-girlfriend, right?"_

_"Hey- "_

_"There's no way we'd allow someone like you to get close to him!"_

_"You're nothing but a nuisance to him! He can't play volleyball if someone like you is holding him back!"_

_Walking up to her, Arisa took a cautious step back, trying to fend them off. She eyed the exit desperately before one of them blocked her path, allowing no escape, and angrily shoved while she held her camera, the other two followed and shoved her as well, pushing her backwards towards the pool. She struggled, but it was no use with three against one, and she ended up falling backwards._

_She fell with a splash, sinking slowly before instincts kicked in to pull herself up. Ascending, she coughed up water from her mouth before panicking at the realization that she was in water and that she still had her camera slung around her._

_Swimming to the edge of the poor, panic filled her nerves. Just as she was about to touch the edge, one of the girls planted their feet on her head, forcing her head down. She tried to pull her feet away, but her two accomplices grabbed hold of her hands and held her down, leaving her helpless under their clutches._

_"Have a dip, Yoshizawa, that'll clear your head for you!"_

_Plunging into the water again, Arisa gurgled, bubbles rising. Rising, she barely had time to coughed out the water before she was plunged in again - they did this a few more times, her limbs hurting from being held, from kicking the water._

_Her camera came in sight, memories gushed of when she first held it in her hands, when she applied at the Press Club during her first year, of her godfather giving her photography tips._

_She could feel her head getting heavy, her limbs loosening, when suddenly through the water, she could hear a voice, hard and violent – Oikawa._

_Releasing Arisa, the girls were dumbfounded by his presence, attempting to reason, as Arisa weakly rose up, filling her lungs with air, desperately picking her body and her camera out of the water. She clumsily collapsed into the ground, still gasping for air. Oikawa immediately ran to her, sending a glare to the three, and helped Arisa out of the pool. She was soaking wet._

_Immediately, he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her. Lifting her in his arms, he ran towards the locker room (since it was closer than the clinic). Once there, he gently put Arisa down, hastily grabbing a towel from the rack and places it on top of her head, kneeling to dry her hair. She let him, hands wrapped around her camera._

_"We should get you out of these clothes- " Arisa swatted his hand away, just as he reached for her buttons._

_He frowns, reaching again only to have his hand swatted again. "Arisa-"_

_"I can do it myself." Shrugging off his jacket, she helped herself out of her wet jacket and sweater, deciding to leave her blouse on. Oikawa puts his jacket around her, forcing it on even as she swatted his hands away._

_"I'm fine," she struggled from him, leaving the jacket on her shoulders, quickly disassembling her camera to assesses the problem. Teeth sinking into her lower lip, her mind went haywire, body shaking slightly. "Damn it, I need to dry them by rice," her vision was getting blurry, frustrated tears forming._

_As soon as she said that, there was a rustle of movement, of a locker being opened and closed before something was placed in front of her. "Here," Stupefied, she realized that that there was a large plastic container next to her. Without a word, Oikawa takes it upon himself to put her camera and its parts in rice, allowing it dry._

_She murmurs her gratitude, watching her camera dipped in rice. Her body tensed as if remembering something, before reaching into her pocket and including her phone in. As her gadgets were drying, she couldn't help but ask. "Why do you have a bucket of rice?"_

_"Mattsun." He replied, referring to the messy-haired middle blocker. "He buys them and leaves them in the locker room. And because we're boys with massive appetites so we need the rice."_

_She couldn't help but laugh at that. It was true, Tobi was too. Athletes really have massive appetites. Silence filled in, Arisa unconsciously dried her hair as her eyes never left the rice container. Oikawa watched her, seeing the sorrow dance in her eyes._

_"How long do you need them soaked in?"_

_Pausing, her hands dropped to the ends of the towel. "…at least 24 hours."_

_Rebellious tears leaked down her face, taking her by surprise, she hastily wiped them away._

_Oikawa leaned in, stretching a hand to hold her face, wiping tears away with his thumbs. "I'm sorry."_

_Pulling away, she shook her head, tightening her hold on the towel wrapped around her, making no motion of pulling away. "It's not your fault you have crazy fangirls."_

_He frowned. "Have they always been harassing you?"_

_Ducking her head, Arisa's eyes found the floor interesting, feeling his thumbs trace her cheekbones, his burning gaze._

_"Arisa," his voice was low, serious. "answer me."_

_"It's nothing to worry about," she tells him, placing both hands on the container. "I'll just return this when it's dried up. Thanks for-"_

_"No, we aren't done talking."_

_She shook her head, keeping her head low. "There's nothing to talk about."_

_"You're just avoiding it," he shook his head, sounding frustrated. "like you always do."_

_She fell silent. It was true, not that she'll admit it out loud. But she forgot that he knew her so well, in the short time they've dated. "Oikawa..."_

_"_ Toru _," he interjected, serious. "that's my name. Call me by my name."_

_But she didn't want to. Exasperated, her shoulders rose and dropped. "What do you want from me?"_

_"You. I want you."_

_"We're long done."_

_"That doesn't change the fact that I want you, that I need you."_

_"You didn't seem to need me before." She shook her head, hiding the pain in her eyes, but he saw it._

_Oikawa scoffed, tucking strands of hair behind her ear. "I must've been a good actor then."_

_"Oikawa," she turns to him tiredly, evident through her expression. "you're making this hard on yourself. And besides, that was junior high!"_

_"I can't help it, I want you, I still do." Her breath hitches in her throat, tears starting anew. "Arisa." He places his hands on either side, trapping her in place. "Come back to me."_

_Leaning in, Arisa turned her head, his lips pressing against her cheekbones. A wave of desperation washed over him, breaking into a sigh as he nodded his head in understanding._

_Pulling back, just by an inch, his breath fanned her skin. "You should change, or you'll get a cold."_

_"My spare clothes are in my locker."_

_Nodding, he stands from the ground. "I'll get them for you, just stay here for a while. I'll be right back."_

_Watching him leave from the corner of her eye, Arisa huddled up against the wall, loosening her ribbon before taking it off. She watched her wet clothes bundled in front of her, remembering that it was Monday and there were no club activities that day. She tightened her hold on his jacket, her nose infiltrated by his cologne and warmth – a comforting combination._

_With every step he took, it felt heavier and heavier, like he was walking on lead. The brunet couldn't help but recall his actions, the hurt in her eyes, her vulnerable state. Frustrated, he slammed his fist against the wall, annoyed at himself for taking advantage of her vulnerability._

 

...

 

_As much as he can, he couldn't avoid her. Never could, anyway. They were classmates, that was one thing. They had mutual friends, that was another thing. And try as he much, he didn't want to distance himself from her – couldn’t really. And he just couldn't bear the thought of her with someone else. Just the thought of her with someone else, someone to make her smile and laugh, twisted his heart painfully._

_What were they, you ask? Oikawa didn't have a concrete answer to that._

_They were friends, but not really. From the moment they broke up, there was this sort of barrier between them, something that weighed on them no matter what. It may be the awkwardness of them being exes, but it felt more than that._

_Oikawa settled for their estranged friendship, even though it tore him inside to be so close, yet so far with her. Subtle little acts of hers still drove him over the edge, even picking on the new ones as the years pass by. He was blessed to have been her classmate for so many years._

_Watching her dark hair fly against the wind, her long legs running on the coarse ground, sweat glistening her skin, effortlessly bypassing the three other runners towards the finish line, he couldn't help but sigh. Behind him, there were a few others who sighed with him._

_Of course, she was an eye catcher, Arisa had a reputation (even if she buried it the moment she entered high school) and the looks. He couldn't forget the times she received gifts from admirers during their first years, the guys who were brave enough to confess to her, or the time she was hit on during her first sports coverage._

_When she walked up to their class, lifting her shirt to wipe the sweat off, something ignited within him. Their classmates cheered, praising her for bringing the class victory._

_The next event was the cavalry battle, which the boys were pretty pumped about. Spotting Iwaizumi from the crowd, he flashed him a peace sign with his fingers, as if saying he won't go easy on them. That only seemed to fuel the ace's determination, pointing angrily at him._

_"Really, you two haven't changed." Oikawa turned to see Arisa, shaking her head at the two._

_"I can't help it! Despite being taller and more amazing, Iwa-chan just beats me at everything!"_

_Her eyes narrow, hands dropping to her hips. "See, this is why you lose. You let your childish pride get the best of you."_

_A few of their classmates hear her statement and laugh, Oikawa pouts. "The least you could do is support me, Arisa-chan!"_

_Rolling her eyes, she stretches her body up, tying the band around his neck. "Go win some, Oikawa-san~" At their proximity, he could smell her sweet scent, mixed with sweat, could see the blemishes on her skin. "That good enough for you?"_

_Taking a step back, the boys began to huddle, calling out to him to join them. But Oikawa found himself watching her figure disappear into the crowd, his heart thundering in his chest._

_"Oikawa!"_

_"A-Ah, give me a second?" And then he ran to her, eyes locked on the raven-haired teen._

_"Arisa!" She turned, surprised to see him. Catching his breath, he mentally counted to ten to calm himself, mustering whatever courage he had in him. It was now or never._

_Standing up straighter, he took her hand in his, relishing in its softness before pressing his lips against her knuckles - to his satisfaction, he felt her twitch. "If we win, you'll go on a date with me." His brown eyes look up to her grey-blue ones, pink coloring her cheeks. "Deal?"_

_Taken by his sudden proposal rendered her speechless. What spurred him to do this? And why now? Was he playing? She peeked at his eyes, seeing nothing but hardened brown eyes, it made her throat dry. "Y-You're on."_

_His smile grew – toothily, his eyes crinkling, before he turned to join their classmates, running enthusiastically with newfound energy._

_Arisa stood there, frozen, watching after his retreating form. Questions quickly filled her head, mixing in with her confusion. Looking down at her hand, the one he kissed, she could still the hot press of his lips, from lips so soft. She put a hand over it, feeling it begin to quiver._

_Joining her class, her camera next to her, her attention immediately drew to Oikawa. After their break-up, it was honestly hard to be around him, being the sole reminder of the one thing her parents wanted that she could never be. It was even harder now that they were in the same school and in the same class, the universe must have some dry humor to put this on._

_But she will admit, she did miss him._

_Childish, moody, perfectionist, and all – she really did miss him._

_As the whistle sounds off, Calvary teams scurried off to battle, cheers roaring from their classes. Watching their class successfully stealing several ties, Oikawa throwing his hands triumphantly in the air, it occurred to her that the reason he asked her was because it was his birthday next week, a weekend at that._

_So even if their class lost, seeing his dejected form, she came to a decision. Walking up to him, boldly, she quickly kissed his nose, capturing his full attention._

_"So, about that date."_

 

...

 

_It was a Saturday. And it was summer, Arisa wore a simple floral sleeveless dress and paired it with some cowboy boots while Oikawa wore a simple shirt, cardigan, jeans, and sneakers. When asked where they were going, Oikawa winked, from his pockets, produced two tickets to the Sendai Astronomical Observatory._

_On the bus ride there, Oikawa had explained that this was a gift from Aiko, knowing how much he wanted to go visit but never had a chance because time seemed to conflict every time._

_He hadn't realized that he had been talking a mile, of how excited he was about going to the observatory_ on his birthday! _When he did, he apologized, but Arisa shook her head, smiling, telling him that it was okay, that it was his birthday, so it was understandable. He was taken by that, forgetting just how much she knew him still._

_Arriving at the observatory, immediately, both teens were amazed at how big the place was. A guide greeted the two, politely guiding them – and a few other – through a small hallway and through some doors into a huge dome chamber. A few other guests scattered into the interior, talking in hushed whispers. Oikawa could barely contain himself from all the excitement. And then, the lights went out, a calm music softly plays. From there, the sun, the moon, stars, and other planets are shown, stars slowly coming in sight that slowly became constellations that Oikawa knew, and sure enough, its historical background and mythology were explained through the speaker. Since Oikawa spent so much of his time reading about them, he wasn't surprised anymore, but still, it never ceased to amaze him._

_He got so lost in the beauty of it all that he nearly forgot Arisa. Turning to his side, he found the dark-haired beauty transfixed at the holographs of the stars, losing herself to the celestial wonders, the music, and the comforting seats. Of all the stars that shone, nothing came close to Arisa – she was all he could see. He hadn't realized that he had been holding unto her hand until the lights were back. Arisa glanced at their hands, Oikawa was unsure what to make of her expression before pulling his hand back, laughing awkwardly._

_Next, they were guided to the exhibition hall, to a giant display of the planets rotating while they orbit the sun, movies on small TV screens with explanations of the creation of the earth, the solar system, and the universe. The more they read, the more they delved into it. Arisa started to see things that connected astronomy with Japanese culture. They wandered around, staring in awe at the old equipment and artifacts used in history, Arisa often sharing tidbits of facts about the equipment during a certain era. In turn, Oikawa would ‘oh’ and ‘ah’ at the newfound information, Arisa was such a history nerd._

_Since it was Saturday, it was just their luck that the observatory allows lets its guest stargaze through the telescope. And though it was a little too early to stargaze, Oikawa couldn't help considering it, at the distant planets, asteroids, and galaxies – he was such a child. But he was so happy. And he really was. It must be the child in him, finally going to the one place he's wanted to go, or maybe it was because he was with Arisa?_

_Taking a step back, he glanced at her, who tilted her head at him, as if asking 'what's up?' He shook his head, mirroring her smile, before asking if she wanted to take a look since they still had time. Nodding, she walked up to stand beside him. She stared at the large mechanism in awe, tucking her hair behind her ear as she leaned into the telescope, mirroring his excitement and fascination from earlier._

_Now that he thought about it, there was no awkwardness between them – it was something he sort of expected being exes and all. Even his slip up earlier was dismissed. Clearly, Arisa was having a good time, like him. There was no malice, no fakeness in her acts, they were all sincere and genuine. She had even treated him to astronaut ice cream!_

_It maybe because she’s humoring him on his birthday, but the way she was around him didn’t seem like it. Which is something he loved about her._

_She was his first love. No matter the tribulations that came his way, the demons that haunt him at night, the mere memory of her made him sane, remembering her made him strong. He wondered if such was the case for her about her little brother, the one she loved so much who had gone too soon. Despite their rift, just the mere sight of her smile was enough to ease his nerves._   _He must've been such an asshole then, using her brother's name in vain, even spouting horrible things about her cousin._

_But if it's any consolation, the key chain she gave him – of the moon, as her birthday gift told him that she had long forgiven him._

_The rest of the day was spent walking around the outdoor planet scales, playing like children, and even taking photos (Arisa used her phone), they spent almost two hours in the Planetarium before heading off to the nearby shopping center. They didn't buy anything, simply strolled around. He really needed to thank his sister for the tickets and the universe for blessing him this opportunity._

_To top it all off, they later ate dinner at a nearby antique restaurant that played live music (Aiko's recommendation). A couple played on stage as the two were guided to their seats, filling the void with music and lyrics. Looking around, Arisa commented that her grandfather would've loved the place, sharing that he was a music lover who still had his vinyl records._

_"Really?" he can't help but ask, curious. Arisa nods, tapping her fingers to the rhythm._

_“He has a working phonograph at home. Though I don’t see him much as a kid, I grew up listening to old rock because of him.” When their orders were placed on their table, the two began to eat, making small talk every now and then. Afterwards, they ordered tea and sat a while._

_A new song started to play – starting with lilting notes, somewhat melancholic and sentimental – Arisa instantly recognized it. He noticed, seeing as her body relaxed, eyes falling shut as she rested her chin on her folded hands._

_The piano riffs, a bit melancholic, which was soon accompanied by a low voice of a man. Joining him later was a woman; Arisa couldn’t help but sing along. She had a really nice singing voice. But the song itself, he could tell why she liked it – it was a strange kind of duet, full of hope, emotion, and melancholy._

_From the corner of his eye, he couldn’t help but imagine him and Arisa being on stage – them singing, them pouring their hopes and dreams while losing to the haunting melancholy of the piano._

_As the song took for a lighter tone, he returned to Arisa, mesmerized by how much emotion she poured into each lyric that he realized two things: one, that he loved this girl so much. Who was he kidding? He loved her, he still does. Not a day passes without him falling more and more in love with her._

_Every girl that came his way, he can't help but compare to Arisa. Not one of them had her flair for photography, her unwavering warm smile, nor her grey-blue eyes. Not one of them could match up to her._

_Yes, he was still in love of her - that was a fact._

_The second thing he realized, is probably the most obvious, he wanted her back. And this time, he was bent of making it right._

_So, as the song ended, Arisa opening her eyes to him, he acted on impulse._

_Unable to help himself, Oikawa leaned in and kissed her._

_In that kiss, it felt like a supernova – like every atom of his being were being lit on fire, burning him up. When he pulled away, her eyes were wide in surprise, pink coloring her cheeks. Oikawa didn’t mind the stares and whispers around them, all he could see was Arisa. She opened her mouth, trying to say something, but nothing came out._

_A flash, followed by a loud crackle, before the lights went out. Guests and employees panicked, on instinct Oikawa searched for Arisa in the dark, her hand shooting out to his, he held unto her. The power returned, one of the employees recalling that there was a storm_   _coming. So, the two teens were forced to stay in a nearby lodge for the night, the elderly couple taking them in._

_Just his luck, Oikawa thought as he sent a quick text to his family of their situation. Arisa was probably doing the same, on the other side of the room. The tension heavy between them._

_It took just one glance somewhere between changing out of their wet clothes and watching the skies ravage in light and sound that they threw themselves against each other, hands flying to touch the other, clothes flying, Arisa's hair fanning out behind her as she watched Oikawa climb on top of her._

_All the pent-up emotion from years of ignoring each other, pretending that what they felt for the other died, got the best of them._

_Every time he touched her, it felt like he was drawing her – his hands mapping out every expanse of her skin, leaving burning after trails. She gasped at the sensation, lost in his touches._

_"Wai-Wait, Toru..."_

_A hand on his shoulder stopped him, bringing up to grey-blue eyes he loved so much. Grey-blue eyes of hers reminded him of rain that poured outside, washing away the waste of today for tomorrow, cleansing the world for a newer tomorrow._

_He took her hand from his shoulder, slowly kissing her knuckles without breaking eye contact. She could feel her heart slamming against her chest, hating herself for denying the long built up feelings she still had for the boy in front of her. His brown eyes consuming her whole, like a black whole._

_Arisa closed the distance, kissing him softly. Oikawa wrapped his arms around her, melting into her. They kissed slowly, lips dancing to each other’s in a forgotten rhythm, tongues seeking to explore the other, skin heating up with every kiss. More. He wanted more of her._

_In their frenzy, the sound of something falling – a crackle of foil – caught their attention. Tapping his shoulders, asking him to stop – an act that was difficult to ask from him – they both looked at the fallen item._

_Condoms._

_Arisa stopped and stared at him, then at the condoms incredulously. Oikawa paled, mouth drying._

_"I can explain!" She rose a brow. "...actually, I can't-“Bashfully, he looked away, scratching his cheek. His eyes shot wide open, recalling that it was his sister who gave him tickets, recommendations and– “Wait, Aiko was messing with my things before I left."_

_"Aiko-nee?"_

_Slowly, everything began to make sense – his sister acquiring_ two _tickets, her suggesting places they could check, a place to eat, dismissing the news early morning, and practically shoving him out of the house._

_Seeing his face contort into a look of realization, he met her gaze, they stared, the silence growing._

_Suddenly, they burst into laughter, over the ridiculousness of the situation. He laughs into her collarbone, hating himself for ruining the moment. Why did he miss out on Aiko’s strange behavior? He was the smart sibling! (But so was Aiko)_

_Eventually, their laughter died down, and they continued where they left off – lips seeking, melting into each other. Her giggles turned into breathless moans, hands gripping on the sheets, nails digging into his skin, fingers clutching at the nape of his neck or hair. Their moans and groans mixing with giggles, until it eventually went away, the heat returning. His hands found hers, lacing their fingers together, squeezing as he entered, kissing away tears that leaked down her face before finding solace to her lips. The room fills with a rush of emotion, with gentle whispers and soft moans, muting the storm outside. With every thrust, with every moan, he didn’t let go, and neither did she._

 

…

 

_The skies were clear the next day, sun shining through the clearing of clouds. It was as good as any other day, except it felt a whole lot different. And the good kind._

_On the bus ride home, they sat next to each other, looking down at their hands. Arisa didn’t talk, Oikawa didn’t have to worry about her silence._

_He walked her home, never letting go of her hand._

_When they arrived at her home, she turned to him, meeting his eye, then to their hands. He smiled at her, she was so cute._

_With his free hand, he wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her to him, pressing his face into the top of her head. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She nodded, pressing herself closer, smelling his familiar scent. Parting by an inch, he cupped her face and lightly kissed her lips. “I love you.”_

_…_

_And just like that, they were dating again._

_It was inevitable – well, at least that’s according to what everyone says. And speaking of everyone, their reactions were pretty expected – there was shock, disbelief, even anger (from Oikawa’s and Arisa’s admirers respectively), but people in their circles were happy for them._

_“About time, you two.” they said. “The tension between you was suffocating!”_

_It felt so surreal to be together again, almost like a dream. This time, things were going to be different. Oikawa was bent on keeping her this time, that he would make things work_

_Later that week, Oikawa dropped her home, her grandfather was in the countryside with her parents to attend a wedding. The first hour was spent pouring over their homework, discussing areas Arisa was having trouble with. The next, they spent it on a movie._

_Arisa loved film adaptations of classic novels and documentaries. Oikawa loved animated and French films. Both loved sci-fi films, especially Star Wars, Star Trek and Alien._

_Currently, they were watching the Great Gatsby, invested in the story and the characters for two hours and a half, already in the movie's conclusion when Arisa began to cry._

_Alarmed, he turned to his girlfriend, who shook her head, laughing. "I'm sorry, just, it's just a really depressing movie, isn't it?"_

_"Hm." He agrees, wiping tears away from her face._

_Through the ending credits – minimalistic, haunting beats accompanied by soft singing – kisses were exchanged. Simple and soft at first, before it became heated and hard. Then clothes came flying off one by one. And for some reason, Arisa could not stop crying – probably from the movie, its ending taking a toll on her, brought by the sadness of a tragic character's death, or the tenderness of Oikawa's touches, kisses – the very fact that they were dating again._

_"I didn't know you were so emotionally invested when watching films." His voice came in a whisper, even though they were the only people in her house._

_Reaching out a hand, she pinched his nose lightly as she laid on top of him. "Shut up, my grandmother read it to me when I was younger."_

_"That's a rather odd choice, don't you think?" he asked, smoothing dark hair from her face, absentmindedly running his fingers through her piercings._

_"Hmm, took me months to finish it."_

_"There are all kinds of love in this world," he quoted, his voice was smooth, almost velvety, reminding her of warming yourself in front of a fireplace during winter, running his hands through her dark locks, letting them slip off his fingers. "but never the same love twice."_

 

...

 

_When she woke up, it was still dark – the moon beam shining down her room. She had no idea how long they slept._

_She found herself staring at the ground, at the clothes scattered on the floor before she caught sight of a familiar cyan and white jersey. Biting her lip, she carefully crossed the room, wincing at the pain in her lower regions, plucking the jersey off the floor. Walking back to her bed, she gently sat down, bringing the material close and took a waft of it, smelling her boyfriend's scent, her insides warming._

_She stared at it for a few more minutes before slipping the jersey on. Across her, she could see her reflection the mirror – it was big on her, ending just by her mid thighs – face slowly heating up._

_And then, Oikawa's head popped out from the sheets, nearly giving her a heart attack._

_"You scared me!" she tells him as he wrapped his arms around her body._

_"Hello," his voice was thick with sleep, smiling tiredly at her. Taking in his jersey on her, his smile grew. "You look good."_

_She hummed, running her fingers through his hair, her other hand rubbing his arm. She will not lie, this is the happiest she’s been in a while. It’s been the best two weeks of her life._

_“Hey Arisa,” when she hummed, sweet and low, making his heart flutter, he rested his chin on her thigh, pointing with his chin at her camera. “let’s take a picture together.”_

_“What? Why?”_

_He smiled simply, now wide awake. “"I want to remember this, every day I get to spend with you."_  

…

 

When Iwa-chan appeared at his door step at 10:49 pm, he knew something’s up.

Wordlessly, he held out a Darth Vader hard drive from his pocket, then left. Just like that.

Bewildered by his friend’s behavior, he went to his room, plugged the device in, and hastily went through the files. His heart quickened when he saw the contents – photos, hundreds of photos of him and Arisa when they were dating. He remembered each and every single one of them because  _he_  took them.

Scrolling through, he stopped at pictures after pictures of Arisa – asleep, with her head against her folded arms or his shoulder on the ride home. A series of candid shots of their dates, when they were at each other’s houses, Arisa interacting with Takeru, Nagasaki, some street cats, playing with pigeons, or him. Judging by the number of photos, Arisa didn’t have the heart to just throw them all away. She was a photographer and a sentimentalist. There were just too many photos,  _too many memories to let go._  And they looked so in love, so,  _so_ , in love.

His personal favorites were ones with post-sex Arisa in the sheets, where she was most vulnerable yet so painstakingly beautiful to look at. There was one of them together, which he took at arm’s length, looking so young and in love. He stared at the photo long and hard, heart thumping against his chest. He cannot take his eyes off the pictures, specifically at Arisa, his beautiful, sweet, and frustrating girl. A girl he never thought he’d love so much.

Suddenly overwhelmed with emotions, he reached for his phone, wanting to hear her voice.

For a moment, he contemplated, staring at her name, what  _could_  he say? What  _should_  he say?

 

 

**TO: Arisa Yoshizawa**

**FROM: Oikawa Toru**

I got your present from Iwa-chan.

Thank you, Arisa.

 

Pressing send, he fell on his back, on the cold wooden floor, feeling slightly pathetic, staring at his ceiling. He placed an arm over his eyes, his vision blurring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah, so, this is a really long chapter (over 11k words people) and you might've noticed that I've upped the rating, nothing too explicit though since I'm not really good at smut (well, I'm not a good writer. Period.) Also, *rushes to hand out boxes of tissues* I don't know, just thought you'd need them with all the mush and drama that will unravel in future chapters. I really enjoyed writing this chapter (to compensate for the crappy chapter of the cultural festival (which is a bitch in making)) because of all the heavy stuff I get to put them in (✿˘艸˘✿)/mwahahaha
> 
> NOTES:  
> *The dance Makki and Segumi is the one from Lucky*Star (aka, fave anime of all time)  
> *Writing Aiko, Oikawa's sister was a real joy. I just happened upon her sketch, and then she found her way into here.  
> *The song Arisa sang is 'City of Stars' yes, sue me. I wrote that part of the chapter to that song. (And a bunch of others)  
> Thanks for reading!  
> DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but the plot.


	9. viii

**[viii]**

 

_“This has been the best birthday ever,” he whispers to her, his grin so wide it could split his face in half. She couldn’t help returning the smile, seeing how happy he was._

_“You’re exaggerating.” Arisa rolled her eyes at him, poking him by the tip of his nose._

_“Regardless, thank you, Arisa. It’s because of you that I’m happy, really happy.” He pulled her close, closing the distance between them, never breaking eye contact. Skin pressed against skin, he never thought that it would feel so amazing to be like this. For sure, his hair was a mess, hers was too - but she still looked so beautiful._

_“How are you?”_

_Outside, the rain continued to pour with the occasional flash of lightning. But in these sheets, under what minimum strobes of lights provided, they felt like the only people in the world._

_“For starters,” Arisa ducked her head, her face slowly turning into a lovely shade of red. “...I don’t think I can walk tomorrow.”_

_Oikawa laughed despite this, kissing her forehead in apology. “I’m sorry.”_

_“You should be, it was my first time.”_

_“Mine too.”_

_Humming, she trailed her fingers down his jaw, grey-blue eyes staring with the softest mien. His hair was a mess, the sweat that glistened his body had long dried. She lifts her head, their nose bumping into his, giggling softly at how ridiculous they were. “I haven’t really said it, but happy birthday, Toru.”_

_He smiles, really smiles – eyes crinkling, lips upturned, and his brown eyes glistening with so much emotion. He takes her hand in his own. “Let’s celebrate your birthday next year, and then mine.” Slowly, their fingers thread into each other as his voice softens. “And the next year, and the next year, and the next year, okay?”_

_He sounded so hopeful, so full of yearning._

_She smiled, squeezing back._

_“That’s a promise.”_

 

…

 

“Excuse my intrusion,“

“Ah, Yoshizawa.” Coach Ukai greeted.

Arisa smiles, stepping in the gym. “Hi.”

Barely another step in and she was greeted by the two loud second-years, Tanaka and Nishinoya, causing her to jump. “Yoshizawa-san!”

“H-Hi…”

“Quit fooling around and focus!” Sawamura yelled at the two menacingly, sending a shiver down their spine.

Amidst Tanaka and Nishinoya’s screams of terror, Arisa discreetly heads towards the benches, where Shimizu and Takeda was.

“Yoshizawa-kun!” The man’s face brightened at the sight of her. “Babysitting, again?”

Shrugging helplessly, Arisa explained. “It can’t be helped, sensei, Auntie’s very doting towards Tobi. She’d hate to have her son snack on microwavable meals and instant ramen. Also, this is a great way to spend the weekend.”

Takeda hums, his smile unwavering. “That's good to hear, the team seems to be a lot livelier when you’re around.”

She snorts. “That’s an exaggeration, sensei.”

As soon as she said that though, her cousin comes running towards her. “Nee-san!”

“Hi, Tobi!” she greets with a smile. “How are you?”

His blue eyes were twinkling at the sight of her. “I’m fine. How abou- “

“Yoshizawa-san!” came an energetic cry from Hinata, who was bouncing at the sight of her. “Yoshizawa-san, are you here to play with us again?”

Turning to the redhead, she raised a hand in apology. “Sorry Hinata-kun, not this time.”

The redhead’s shoulders dropped, a pout marring his features. “Eh, that’s too bad. And I was looking forward to playing with you again!”

“You don’t just cut into conversations like that, idiot!” came her cousin’s annoyed voice, proceeding to torment the middle blocker for cutting him off. Hinata wails, attempting to flee for his life.

“Ah, livelier as ever.” Sugawara laughed, watching the two first years. Arisa joined in, seeing her cousin’s animated expressions even as he torments the small middle blocker. “Nice to see you, Arisa.”

“You too, Koushi-kun.”

When greetings were exchanged, Coach Ukai called on the team and soon returned to practice. Arisa watched from the benches, next to Shimizu and Yachi, the new manager-in-training. Over the few times Arisa visited, she and the younger girl have gotten along pretty well – and it maybe because of their shared interest in photography. Although Yachi seemed a little intimidated by Arisa – with her beauty and talent, she was just as beautiful as Shimizu and was almost as cool as her mother.

“Um, Yoshizawa-san?” the blonde couldn’t help but ask, a question that’s been gnawing at her.

“Hm? What is it, Yachi-chan?” Arisa tilted her head at the younger girl in question.

“I-I was wondering…” she stuttered, stumbling on her words. Arisa smiled, patiently waiting for her to finish. “…is there a reason you don’t want to lose?”

She blinked. “That’s a rather deep question to ask.”

As soon as she says that, the younger girl flusters, quick to apologize. “I-I’m sorry- “

“Personally, I don’t think much about it – if I win, I win, if I lose, I lose. And when I lose, I get fascinated by it. Because it’s only by losing do you see areas you could work on.” A wistful smile crosses her face, and for a moment, she could see a younger Arisa in court, in the form of her cousin. “My favorite coach once told me that it’s better to be growth-oriented than goal-oriented. Because if you’re the latter, okay, you work your ass off to reach your goals, and if you do, then what? But if you’re the former, you do not stop. You go beyond every imaginable goal and just continue being better.”

The younger girl froze, stumped by her wisdom and her response.

Arisa turned to her, never failing to smile. “Does that answer your question?”

“A-Ah, yes! Thank you very much!”

 

…

 

_‘Love’s sweeter the second time around,’ that’s what they all say. And being a Taurus, she couldn’t help but think about it. It’s not that the two months getting back with Toru (yes, she reverted to calling him by his first name) weren’t any less fun, but she had a tendency to look back and recall the past. He was just insecure, she knew that a little lost in his idea to be perfect. But a part of her will always go back to that one time, his hand in the air about to struck dear little Tobi, who just wanted him to teach him to jump serve. That night, she had a hard time sleeping without his face flashing in her mind. She had to sleep with Tobi just to assure herself that nobody was going to hurt him._

_Surprisingly, she hadn’t realized how easy it was to slip back into the relationship. How easy it was to be around him, how no awkwardness existed, or just how natural it seemed. They had been acquaintances first, have been classmates for years, before getting into a relationship. She just hadn’t realized how natural it was to be with him again._

_Still, she couldn’t escape the vicious whispers behind their back._

_It scares her, honestly, to even be with Oikawa again, and the thought that she’s just a good lay, after all, Oikawa’s just a guy, isn’t that what brought them back together? Is that all there is in this relationship?_

_“What am I to you, really?” Arisa couldn’t help but ask, sitting on her bed, dressed in nothing but his jersey. Seeing the question in his eyes, she looks away, finding the floor interesting, fiddling with the ends of her borrowed shirt. “Is this just sex to you?”_

_The question caught him off guard, whipping his head around to Arisa. She’s been strangely quiet lately, which she tries to hide, but he could see right through her. Alarmed at her question, Oikawa rushes to her, kneels, and takes her hands in his._

_“This isn’t just sex to me, Arisa.” He murmurs, heat from his hands and body washing over. “This is my second chance, my chance to make it right.” Taking both hands, he presses the gentlest of kisses on them, staring deep into her eyes. “You’re the girl of my dreams,” he tells her, voice like velvet – alluring in a way, but when it was just them, she could hear the sincerity in his voice. “I love you, Arisa.”_

_She almost scoffed at that,_ almost _. But the sincerity in his voice, in his eyes – they were just too much._

_Freeing one hand, she runs them through his chocolate brown hair, never breaking eye contact as she cups his face. Emotions rush through her, bringing tears to her eyes. Oikawa’s eyes softened, he really hates seeing her cry._

_“Please don’t break my heart, Toru.” She says, pressing her head against his._

_Oikawa’s eyes fell shut, leaning up to rest her forehead against his, wrapping his arms around her waist. “I won’t.”_

_“Toru.”_

_“Hm?”_

_“Kiss me.”_

 

…

 

The lilting notes of her music box fill in the silence of her room, Arisa lays on her back, staring into space while humming to the tune. Beside her, Nagasaki lies fast asleep, tired out from their walk.

Suddenly, a short ring sounds off, her phone illuminating through the dark.

Carefully stretching out her arm, as to not wake the sleeping pup, she plucks her phone from the desk, flips it open and sees a text – half-surprised as for the other half, she wasn’t sure.

She thinks whether she should reply.

Before she could decide, something wet slips down her cheeks. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling more slide down her cheeks.

Folding her phone away, returning it to her desk, she turns to Nagasaki, hugging the pup close as she began to cry.

Arisa lays awake, listening to the tinkling notes resonate with her emotions – hopeful yet melancholic.

Through the darkened room, the soft music was accompanied by soft sobs.

 

…

 

_Oikawa was currently with Hanamaki, Matsukawa, and Iwaizumi, hanging out in Hanamaki's class during lunch when out of nowhere, the light-haired teen suggested they play Fuck, Marry, Kill._

_"I'll go first!" Hanamaki offered. "Hmm, I think…I'd fuck Miyamoto, marry Matsukawa, and kill Iwaizumi." To Iwaizumi, he says "No offense bro."_

_"The heck-?"_

_"I'm touched." Laughed the middle blocker, to which_ Hanamaki blew the teen a kiss. _"And Miyamoto?" he was referring to the student council vice-president. "Nice. Hmm, I'd fuck…you, marry Matsuda-sensei," at that, Hanamaki hooted, making Oikawa laugh. "and I'd kill…that middle blocker from Shiratorizawa at best."_

 _Hanamaki and Oikawa hoots again, the light-haired teen drumming his fingers on his desk. Matsukawa waves his hands in the air, as if he was pleasing a crowd. Turning to the spiky-haired teen, who seemed disinterested in their little game, he asks._ _"How about you Hajime-kun?"_

_"Oh! Oh! Oh! I can guess for him!" Hanamaki offered, waving his hand in the air. "He'd fuck and marry Gumi-chan, and then he'd kill Oikawa."_

_At that, Iwaizumi choked on his drink. "The fuck!?" Pink dusted his cheeks, stretching to his ears._

_"How cruel, Makki!"_

_Matsukawa and Hanamaki laugh, high-fiving each other._

_"How about Oikawa?"_

_"Hmm, I'd..." Out on the corridor, he sees Arisa pass by. His heart dances at the mere sight of her, even though she was in her customary uniform minus the school jacket, donning her usual off-white jacket. A few heads turned to the dark haired teen, who was busy in her little world with her earphones on._

_With a grin, he walked up and hugged her from behind. The poor girl yelps in surprise as she was being carried away, later finding herself in the presence of three familiar volleyball players, and sitting on the lap of her boyfriend, who snuggled her like a teddy bear. "I'd fuck the daylights out of Arisa, marry her, of course, and kill anyone who dare to touch her."_

_Arisa flushed at his words, especially at the presence of her audience. "Toru, behave, we're in public."_

_He leaned his face on her head, smelling her sweet fragrance. "Hmm, nope."_

_"Aw, aren't you two just sickeningly sweet?" cooed Hanamaki, pressing his hands to his cheeks. Matsukawa mirroring him, tilting his head._

_"Really guys? Right in front of lunch?" grumbled Iwaizumi, eyes narrowing at the couple, most especially Oikawa._

_"Iwa-chan, you don't have to be jealous of me and Arisa just because you're too shy to talk to Tanaka-chan~"_

_"SHUT THE FUCK UP CRAPPYKAWA!"_

 

_..._

 

_When Seijoh won the Inter-High Preliminaries, everyone had gone off to celebrate. Well, everyone except for Oikawa, who stayed behind to have a celebration of his own with Arisa. It just so happens that their victory was on their monthsary, there was no way he was missing out on such an important event._

_With the keys in Oikawa's care, he originally planned for a simple date with Arisa. He'd love to take her to their little celebration, but that would mean sharing her with the team. She was an eyecatcher, he noticed a few freshmen crushing on her already. There was a new movie she's always wanted to see, they could do that, then have a Korean dinner. But a knock on the door, with her on the other side, greeting him congratulations – he knew that his plans would have to change._

_Which is how they wound up having sex in the locker room._

_Through the heated kisses, he felt his need for her growing. He could never get enough of her. His heart was so just full of the thought of being with her, having her in his arms._

_Climbing over her, his knee started to act up. He hissed._

_"Toru, wa- "_

_He didn't give her a chance to speak, immediately claiming his lips over hers, rolling his body over hers. She groaned into his mouth, fingers slackening on his shoulders. She would have lost herself in the kiss had she not noticed the intake of breath, the subtle wince that went with it._

_Alarmed, Arisa pulled away, looking at his knee. "Does it hurt?"_

_He exhaled sharply, knowing he can't hide it from her. "A little."_

_Cupping his face, Arisa pecked him lightly and helped him sit up against the wall. Seeing his frustration still on his face, Arisa smiled kindly, looming over him, dark hair falling from her face. She peppered his face with kisses, making him feel loved, slowly lowering herself to kiss his knee._

_"Let me," she whispered, straddling him._

_He smiles at her, settling his hands on her thighs, his gaze heated, making her throat dry._

_Though it's been a steady few weeks – she lost track counting – she's still bashful about sex, especially when he's got_ those  _eyes on her – heated, hungry, lustful brown eyes that never failed to unnerve her._

_Taking a deep breath, she begins to slide off her sweater, throwing it carelessly to the side. His hands rub on her thigh, eyes unwavering, silently pleading her to continue. Although it is his eyes that unnerve her, at the same time, they encourage her. So, she tugs at her ribbon, slipping it off, and proceeds to unbutton her shirt, slowly, to tease him._

_Oikawa's breath draws with every button, eyes darkening, knowing her game while his hands continuing to rub her sides. When the last button was done, her uniform slipping off, they spent the hour in their whims._

_In the aftermath of their lovemaking, they lie down together on the floor, relishing in each other's warmth._

_With their clothes everywhere, the realization of what they did and_ where _boosted his pride – this was probably worth bragging soon, or not. Who knows?_

_He looked down at the mop of dark hair, his jersey jacket draped over her frame._

_Since he knew that her relationship with her parents was still on the rocks, he was very careful when asking about family matters. So far, he knew that when she quit volleyball, they were very trying for her sake. Her grandfather, most especially, grew out of their family tradition and was elated with his granddaughter. But things with her parents – her father, most especially, were still shaky._

_"Do they still set you up?" he whispered, couldn't help but ask._

_She sighed, a puff of hot breath tickling his chest. "After what happened, I don't think so, no."_

_"But...?"_

_She sighed again, hating how perceptive he was. "They still insist that I be friends with the son."_

_His anger flared, his hand beginning to run with the ends of her hair. He can't believe just how much pressure she's been through; how hard it had been for her._

_"I'm sorry you had to go through that," he says, pressing his lips to her forehead. Arisa's eyes close at the contact, the corner of her lips lifting. Pulling back, he meets her soft grey-blue eyes, hand sliding between her shoulder blades. "Have you met the son?"_

_"No," she says with a shake of her head, staring at him dreamily. "and I don't plan to anytime soon."_

_"Good, you shouldn't."_

_She chuckled, bringing her hands up to play with his hair. "Why? Afraid I'm going to like them better than you?"_

_His eyes narrow at her, having considered it as a possibility. "Not funny."_

_She chuckled again, pinching his cheek. "Don't worry, your girlfriend's a Taurus – we're very loyal."_

_Her answer relieved him, washing away his worry and fear. "And I'm a Cancer highly attractive and uniquely sexy."_

_At that, Arisa rolls her eyes as he waggles his brows at her, clearly unfazed, smiling nonetheless._

_"Admit it, your boyfriend has the hottest bod in the world."_

_"Second to Hajime."_

_He sputters. "W-Wha-?!"_

_"I have a list," she tells him cheekily, resting her cheek on her folded arms. "Obviously, Hajime ranks the first, then there's you, Matsukawa, and then Hanamaki. The rest follows."_

_"Why on earth do you have a list?" he asked, horrified at the revelation about his girlfriend._

_She shrugs nonchalantly, a cheeky look in her eyes. "I always have a list for just about anything. Why, jealous?" Chuckling at the change of his expression, she began tracing her fingers over his chest. "Just because Hajime's the shortest amongst the four of you doesn't mean he doesn't compensate elsewhere. Heck, it's the reason why he's the ace. Well, ace in the making-"_

_Before another word was said, he silenced her with a kiss. Arisa squeals into the kiss as he rolls, switching positions._

_"Stop talking." His voice was low, kind of sexy actually._

_Arisa chuckled, wrapping her arms around his shoulders, running her fingers through his chocolate brown hair. "Be thankful I find you hotter than Matsukawa or Hanamaki."_

_As soon as she said that, Oikawa attacked her lips, instantly shutting her up. As her boyfriend, he was going to remind her_ exactly _why he should be the top of her hot list._

 

_..._

 

After practice, the team – including Arisa, decided to dine out at a fast food restaurant. With summer break approaching, so were final exams. And knowing her cousin, she worried about his academic performance, after discreetly asking about it from Takeda-sensei.

As her cousin presents her his test grades, Arisa couldn't help the look that crosses her face. His grades were terrible, far worse than she expected.

"Tobi, have you been sleeping in your classes?"

"I haven't!" he quickly replies, defensively.

"Do you at least try to pay attention?"

He looks away, flustered, embarrassed.

"It seems like his head is filled with too much volleyball," supplied Tsukishima, snickering in a corner with Yamaguchi. Her cousin sends a glare their way.

"Well, I'm no better since I sleep during classes or don't pay attention." She says in an attempt to lighten up the mood.

"…Yet you're part of a college prep class."

She waved off the statement. "That's by luck, Tobi. Also, it's best to surround yourself with friends, smart friends, who are willing to give you a hand. You do have them, right?"

He grumbles under his breath.

"Despite being cousins, I'm surprised at how vastly you two vary in terms of intelligence." Tsukishima snarks, angering her cousin.

"HA!?"

Arisa quickly turned to the blonde girl beside her. "Yachi-chan, I hear you're helping them study?"

"A-Ah, yes!" she says, putting her drink down. "I've been helping him and Hinata-kun study."

"That's because Stingyshima's too stingy to teach!" says Hinata, sounding like a child telling on his teacher.

Tsukishima retorts snarkily at the two, resulting in an argument. Azumane attempts to calm them down, lest Sawamura sees this when he returns from the toilet. Arisa was busy talking with the younger girl to notice the commotion.

"That's good to hear, then, I leave Tobi in your care." She flashed her infamous smile, causing the young girl to flush and stutter at her words. "I used to help Tobi study when we were younger, but since I live so far now, he's all on his own."

From the corner of her eye, she watched as her cousin interacts with his fellow teammates, her heart warming at the sight of how animated he seemed even when he was arguing. He seemed happier, more alive. All she ever wanted was to see him happy. She would protect him however she can.

 

...

 

_"Arisa," a voice called softly, nudging her._

_She stirred in her sleep, unperturbed._

_Chuckling, Oikawa tries again. "Arisaaa~"_

_Small noises escaped from her mouth the more he tried to wake her. Though a frown formed, her hair stuck everywhere, creases decorating her reddened cheeks – she still looked adorable. She still smelled like coconut, from her favorite shampoo._

_"No~" she groaned, burying herself deeper in the sheets._

_"Wake up! It's almost 11, you know." Grabbing hold of the blanket, he pulled it off, but it wouldn't budge._

_"Let me sleep..." she mumbled out, whining quietly at trying to retrieve the sheets._

_He sighed dramatically, surrendering, planting his hands on his hips. "You're always sleeping."_

_"I love sleep..." She slurs, pulling the blanket back._

_"More than me?"_

_"Hm."_

_"Now I'm jealous. If you're not going to wake up, I'll have to resort to drastic measures!" He says, sounding dramatic._

_The girl released another sleepy sigh, his threat dying. She thought he'd leave her alone, but then fingers began poking her sides, at her most sensitive sides._

_"W-Wah– Toru!" Arisa laughed, attempting to grab his hands._

_"I warned you!" A grin tugged at his lips, it was almost of evil, enjoying her reaction._

_More laughter came out of her mouth, limbs flailing wildly, desperate to stop, which proved to be difficult. "Toru no! Stop!"_

_She could barely form a complete sentence from laughing so hard, especially when his hands slipped through her neck and lower back – her weak points. Arisa's laughter grew louder, tears leaking down the corner of her eyes._

_When he's had his fun, Oikawa stopped, his hands lay idly on her sides._

_Catching her breath, her chest rising and falling with her hair everywhere, Oikawa's gaze catches her off-guard. "Toru...?"_

_His smile grows, brushing her hair away from her face. "You are so beautiful, Arisa."_

_"And you're such a dork."_

_"Hm, hm!" He hums, leaning down to peck her nose. "But you love me anyway."_

_Arisa rolls her eyes but doesn't deny this. That makes him smile. "Are you feeling better now?"_

_The corners of her lips slowly pull into a smile – heartwarming and grateful, it mirrored in her eyes. "Much," she smiled, pulling him down for a quick kiss. "Thanks for coming over. You do know how to treat a girl."_

_He returned her smile._

_The day before, he dropped by straight after practice with a bag full of her favorite treats. The rest of the day was spent pampering his girlfriend – feeding her junk food, playing with Nagasaki, and binge-watching some web series about some dolls. Although dull, the stop-motion animation was amazing, and it was just hilarious. He had stayed the night over, wanting to take care of her more (he had no practice the next day, so it was all good). Growing up with a big sister taught him a lot of things about girls, especially how to take care of them during shark week (bless Mackenzie Zales, his favorite character)._

_"I know, right?" he says rather haughtily, a laugh breaking out of his mouth when Arisa attempted to push him away. "It's a shame you have to go through this." He brought his hands to her abdomen, softly caressing it._

_"Why, worried it'll affect our sex life?"_

_He feigned a gasp. "Arisa, I would never think that! Besides, I know you're an irregular. That's not normal, and it's not healthy."_

_"Sorry," she sighed, beginning to run her fingers through his hair._

_"Don't be," he rested his chin on her collarbone. "Just, you can talk to me, alright?" She nods. "And you don't have to stress yourself." She nods again. "Good. Now come on, sleepyhead, get up!" He helps her sit up, lifting her in his arms._

_"You do realize that I can walk?" she berates, fighting a blush that dusts her cheeks as he carries her out. As her boyfriend pulls the door open, a black and white corgi greets them on the other side._

 

_..._

 

The northern wind that blew was cold, leaves were starting to change colors. Everything seemed so earthly, so golden, so radiant and so beautiful. Some days the skies are blue, some days, they were grey. And although it may seem gloomy, they bring about a sense of comfort. There was just so much to look forward to, Arisa couldn't help but feel excited.

Falling on her back, the leaves crunched, cushioning her. She could care less about the leaves sticking to her hair or the stares she was getting, all she could think of was how sweet the autumn air was, of the sweet chills electrifying through her veins, of how the weather reminded her of a song.

"Arisa, get up!" cried Segumi.

"No~" she whined, arms spread to her sides.

Beside her, Kaeda laughs. "Captain, let her be, she looks happy."

"It's a nice weather we're having!" jostled Hinagiku, delighting in the season like her senior.

"Arisa-san almost reminds me of my cat!" says Suzuna, walking around the pile of leaves she was lying in.

The second-year's comment made her smile. If she could, she'd be a cat – happily lazing around in this perfect weather, without a care in the world around her. Yes, she'd like to be a cat. At least she'd like to believe she was a cat.

"Arisa!" came Segumi's exasperated cry. "Come on now, up you go." Segumi appeared before her, stretching out her hand.

Begrudgingly, she took her best friend's hand. Grumbling, as she sat up. When she did though, everyone began to laugh.

"You have leaves in your hair!" laughed her bespectacled friend.

"Gumi, I was enjoying the day." Grumbled the teen, unbothered by her messy state.

"Yes, yes, but you'll get your uniform dirty." She fussed, walking over to pluck the leaves off her hair and dust the dirt off her uniform.

She shrugged, uncaring, letting her friend clean her.

When the last of the leaves were removed from her hair, Arisa noticed something crawling on the ground. Without a second thought, she carefully plucks it from the ground with her fingers. Bringing it closer to her face, the sight of it brings about memories of her childhood.

"EW, IS THAT A BUG?" cried a first-year – Chiyo, was it?

"It's a beetle, to be more precise. A horned beetle." She says, staring in fascination at the creature in hand, remembering to keep her firm gentle, like Takeru taught her. Pulling it away, just by a fraction, she smiled watching its legs move, attempting to free itself.

"I don't care what it is, put it away!" screeched Segumi, who had run and hid behind Hinagiku. How did she even get there so fast?

Raising her hands in surrender, Arisa made motion to put down the bug, only to run towards the brunette, who screamed and ran away from her. The team laughed, watching the two run around, nobody bothered to butt in and stop them.

"Arisa, stop!"

"It's just a harmless bug, Segumi!"

"No!"

"Come on! It's really cute!"

"Arisa!"

When she was close enough, Segumi pushed Arisa's away from her, a bit too hard as the girl tumbled back into the pile of grass, the beetle flying away in the air. With her athleticism, Segumi had quite the force, hence, Arisa's fall. Luckily, her fall was broken by a pile of leaves.

"Oh no, Arisa!"

"Segumi, that hurt!" Arisa laughed, showing no signs of anger.

"I'm sorry!" she cried, quickly running up to her.

She waved it off. "Don't be. Just, give me a hand."

Segumi reaches out, Arisa motions to take her hand, only to throw a pile of leaves to her face.

"Arisa!" the girl screeches, jumping back. Laughter breaks into her face, she eventually picks up a pile and throws them back to her, but she quickly runs away, laughing.

Leaves were thrown everywhere, crunches and laughter filling the yard, soon enough, the rest of the team followed. It was quite a sight to behold, seeing the girls' volleyball team play around with leaves.

A little while later, they stopped, cheeks flushed with smiles on their faces.

"Hey, Gumi."

Righting her glasses, the brunette turned to her. "Hm?"

"Let's go grab some coffee later."

 

...

 

_She was sleeping. Again._

_First period and she was sleeping. She was always sleeping, it was a fact that came with the years of being classmates with her._

_Kneeling next to her table, he propped his folded arms and watched her. "Hi," he greeted quietly._

_His reply was a tired groan, acknowledging him._

_Chuckling, he drew closer. "Did you even sleep after I said goodbye?"_

_Another tired groan, making him sigh, thinking of the things that must have kept her awake after their late-night talk._

_He poked at her forehead – light taps, pressing on repeatedly – behind him, classmates slowly filled the room. At first, nothing happened, but soon enough, her brows creased and she tiredly swatted his hand away and fell back in her arms, snoring lightly._

_Not wanting her to get into trouble, he began to nudge her. "Arisa~"_

_This time she whined, turning her head the other way._

_Huffing out loudly, he frowned down at the sleeping girl. Deciding on a new tactic, he stood up and leaned down to her ear, whispering, "Are you tired out from last night?"_

_And just like that, her eyes snapped wide open, she quickly sat up – desk and chair clattering in their wake – with a maddening flush decorating her face. "T-TORU!"_

_Everyone in class looked their way, the red intensifying her face. Oikawa broke out laughing, even more so as she hid her face in his chest, he willingly took her in his arms._

_"I hate you…" she whispered._

_Rocking their bodies, he pressed his lips to her temple. "Good morning to you, too, Arisa."_

 

_..._

 

"…so the key of taking a good shot depends on fast you are to the details," explained Arisa to the few freshmen of the documentation team, whom she was personally helping.

Balls were flying on the court accompanied by squeaks of shoes, the freshmen stick close to Arisa as she explains them aspects of photography while leading them to the ladder. Thank god for the gym's open lighting – a mixture of natural and man-made lighting, making the task quite easy.

"Although you could use sports mode, I personally stick to manual." Turning on her heel, meeting their puzzled expressions, she explains. "Don't worry, it's just an advice. If you use manual, you'll need to use a fast shutter speed of around 1/1000th a second. But then again, it's just an advice. If you feel like you can't, just stick to sports mode, okay? I won't fault you. Just make sure the shots are okay." They nod, enthusiastically, hanging onto every word.

Arisa flashes a smile, her eyes crinkling. "Good. This is as far as I go, guys," she tells them, scratching the back of her neck. A part of her wanted to stay with them, to make sure they were doing alright, but she had a match to play – once again, she was required to do so.

"Just stay in places you feel you can take a good shot, okay?" They nod. "And be careful of stray balls." They nod again. "And Yoshida-chan?" the said girl stands straighter at the sound of her name. Arisa bites down her bottom lip, chewing on it as she stares at her camera in the hands of someone else. "Please be careful with my camera, okay?"

"Of course, senpai! I'm sorry again, I had to borrow." The young girl stuttered.

She laughed, patting the girl's head lightly. From the benches, Etsuko called her using a megaphone that echoed throughout the gym, startling just about everyone.

The teen rolls her eyes, shoulders sagging. "Well, that's my cue. I better be going now."

Yoshida calls out, "G-Good luck, senpai!"

"We'll be cheering for you!" the other two say.

"Don't need it!" she says, jogging back. "Just make sure you take good shots, okay?"

As practice went, the three freshmen scattered around, taking shots of the volleyball team practicing. Sometimes they broke off, sometimes they stuck together to compare (which received a displeased look from Arisa) or watch the game. It was more of the latter, sometimes – especially given that their school was a powerhouse. And just seeing how hard they practice gave them enough to know what it was like to produce topnotch athletes, and seeing their senior play was something else.

"Wow, senpai's really amazing…"

Yoshida nods in agreement, awed at Arisa's serve – her third serve, a different one for a different strategy, she noticed. Seeing the teen in court, in a new light, made her respect her even more – more than a photojournalist or an athlete.

Focusing her lens on her senior, she patiently waited as she jumped for a spike – the camera clicking rapidly as if timing the motion before Arisa's palm impacted the ball in.

"And she plays really well…"

Yoshida frowned at that, quickly taking a peek at her recent photo – there was fire in her eyes, an easy expression on her face – she frowned even more.

"Hey guys, great work out there," Arisa says to the freshmen after the practice match, a towel draped around her neck.

"We should be really telling you tha-"

Without letting him finish, Arisa threw something at him. "Catch!"

Quick to respond, the freshman catches the bottled drink with his hands, Arisa does the same to the rest. Yoshida looked down a bottle of yogurt milk.

"Drink up, you earned it."

"How about senpai?" One of them asked.

Arisa lifted her own bottle of yogurt milk – strawberry. "Got it covered." Turning to the first year, she asked. "Yoshida-chan, got any great shots?"

"U-Um…I don't know." The younger girl confessed, shaking her drink lightly but not opening it yet.

"Well, let's have a looksie."

Handing the camera over, Yoshida observed her senior. Her other two companions were busy talking amongst themselves. "Senpai?"

"Hm?"

She squeezed her hand over the cap, not opening her drink yet, debating whether she should ask or not. "Why did you quit volleyball? I mean, you play so well, and you obviously haven't lost touch after all these years. You could have even brought us to nationals! It was such a waste!"

Realizing just how loud she had been speaking – with almost everyone looking their way – the girl flushes, bowing her head in shame. It was stupid to ask, she might have a personal reason.

"Oh? I'm surprised you took up my advice and did manual!" came Arisa's cheery tone, causing the young girl to look up. "Is this your first time?"

"E-Er, no, uhh…I thought I'd take senpai's advice." She explained quietly, unconsciously twisting the cap.

Arisa nods, pleasantly delighted to hear that. "These are really good shots! A shame some were too blurry, but nothing a good edit won't fix." Switching the camera off, she slung her camera over the young girl. Yoshida takes a sip of her drink, delighting in its sweet taste and of the compliment she received.

"I just wasn't happy anymore."

That nearly made her choke, quickly pulling the bottle away from her mouth. "Eh?"

"The answer to your question: volleyball just didn't make me happy anymore. Or in simpler terms," Grey-blue eyes stared into the contents of her drink, her voice far gone when she says, "my heart just wasn't in it anymore."

 

_..._

 

_Where they lie, lying on the sofa in the living room, their clothes strewn on the floor, and forgotten textbooks scattered on the coffee table._

_"How is it every time I'm here, nobody's home?"_

_He chuckled, skimming his fingers over her smooth skin. "Maybe I'm just lucky?"_

_She snorted, lifting her head to his, making a face. "Or maybe you had something up your sleeve – like memorizing your parents' schedule, or your sister's."_

_Oikawa shrugged shamelessly. "Guilty."_

_Laughing, Arisa leaned in, kissing him lightly. He kissed her back, drawing her spine with his finger sending sparks of electricity down her veins. Breaking away, she smiled lazily at him, lifted her hand, running her fingers over his face, letting them slide down his nose in fascination. He smiled at the gesture, especially having her so close, where he could see her grey-blue eyes up close._

_"You are so beautiful."_

_She rolled her eyes, cheeks flushing. "Come on, this homework won't work itself."_

_He whined, wrapping his arms around her, pouting. "Do we have to?"_

_"Yes, Toru."_

_"I don't wanna," he whined again, pulling her closer to him. "I just wanna lay here with you."_

_She sighed as his hands traced the dip of her hips, unconsciously leaning her head back. "I do, too. B-But..." her breath hitched, feeling his lips press against her shoulder blade. "you know I suck at Math, and this is a group work."_

_"Arisaaaaaaa~"_

_"Tell you what," she says as she sits up, he sits up with her, Arisa quickly straddles her boyfriend and wrap her arms around his neck. "we finish this work and get a good grade, then you'll have me all day." He hummed, giving it a thought. Feeling a bit daring, she brought her mouth to his ear, whispering promises in a low, teasing tone. Oikawa's eyes were big as saucers._

_When she pulled back, he struggled to keep his composure. The brunet then cleared his throat. "A-Alright. You drive a hard bargain, Arisa."_

_Giggling, Arisa allowed a small triumphant smirk – the sides of his mouth pulled up, delighted by her – then kissed his lips long and hard before hopping off the couch to grab her clothes from the ground._

_As she dressed, Oikawa couldn't help but stare at her lovingly, wondering just how lucky he was to have her, of how much he loved her before she threw his boxers to his face, her laugh resonating throughout the room._

 

_..._

 

_As her brunet boyfriend approached, a goofy grin on her face, Arisa quickly raised her camera and quickly took a shot of his approach, his grin turning into a pout._

_"Arisa!" he whined, wrapping his arms around her. "Warn me next time, what if I look ugly?"_

_"Then you're ugly," she says with a laugh, looking at the photo she took earlier. Oikawa looked over her shoulder, pouting lightly when the photo came out. "Yep, definitely ugly."_

_Huffing, he broke away and took her camera from her, snapping a photo of her for revenge. Arisa barely seemed to mind, breaking into fits of laughter as Oikawa snapped away, laughing with her._

_Arisa's face fills the frame, her beautiful face twisting into different expressions as he presses the button – capturing each expression perfectly. Well, almost perfectly._

_"Alright Toru, you've had your fun, now give me back my camera."_

_"Let's take a picture first!" Without waiting for her reply, he ran up to her, hugging her from behind as he held the camera at arm's length. "Smile!"_

_How he managed to get so lucky, Oikawa would never know._

_When they were together, the thought just played in his mind over and over again._

_He felt so undeserving of her, she was too perfect for him. Knowing that, he'll break a bone should anyone try to take her from him._

_And to think that it started from a simple curiosity over a tomboyish girl he saw at the park when he was younger. Here they were now, 17 and in love._

_Arisa made him happy, the happiest he's been in years. Yeah, he may be exaggerating, but that's how he felt._

_But the thing was, Arisa took her time to admit her feelings – she couldn't say those words to him – which Oikawa didn't mind, neither did he force it out of her, he was patient. She envied him for it._

_And besides, just by holding his hand, their fingers lacing, gentle kisses, fingers threading through his hair, warm hugs, her giggles from a corny joke, silly selfies and photo-ops, sneaky stolen shots, her sleepy voice on the other side of the phone, her head on his shoulder, the gentle look in those grey-blue eyes he loved so much – it was pretty much clear that she reciprocated his feelings. It was enough, more than he could ask for._

_But he'll admit that it would be amazing to hear them from her mouth, that would be the happiest day of his life._

 

_..._

 

_The crowd that gathered at the Sendai City Gymnasium was massive, per the usual, as teams all over Miyagi gathered for the Inter-High Games. Teams that gathered came in different shapes, forms, and colors. And when where there's excitement, there's also disaster – at least for Arisa's sake._

_She kept her guard up, wary about her surroundings. Since last year, strange things have happened to her behind the scenes of the games. Maybe it was because it was a year fresh out retiring from volleyball and she was bombarded by people who asked why. She shuddered at the memory._

_And right now, she felt tingles running down her spine as she crossed the crowd, camera safely tuck to her side, her dark hair bunched in a ponytail, and an oversized white and cyan jersey slung around her shoulders._

_She could feel the tips of her ears burning, cursing her brunet boyfriend for putting in on her in the first place. ('That way, everyone will know you're dating someone from Seijoh! That'll teach them!') Truly, nobody dared to hit on her, but the stares were just unnerving. Although, she did relish in her boyfriend's scent._

_Finally spotting a group of people sporting the same colors as the jacket she was wearing, she quickened her pace._

_"Segumi!"_

_The said brunette looked up, relieved at the sight of her. "Arisa!"_

_Greeting the rest of the girls' team, Arisa wasted no time in handing Segumi her sports glasses, having forgotten its presence in her camera bag on the ride here._

_"Thank you so much, Arisa." The brunette says, folding her glasses away. "And I'm so sorry for the trouble."_

_Arisa waves it off, loosening the straps before handing it to her. "Don't be, I should've handed them to you straight after we arrived."_

_Helping her friend adjust into the glasses, the crowd around them began to thin, as the games slowly started. Arisa pockets Segumi's glasses._

_"Hi Arisa, Tanaka-chan!"_

_The two girls looked up, finding Oikawa and Iwaizumi._

_"Oikawa-kun! Iwaizumi-kun!" Segumi greeted with a bright smile._

_"Yo," Iwaizumi greeted simply._

_"Where's the rest of you?" asked Arisa._

_"Ah, Makki and Mattsun are with the team. Iwa-chan and I just came from the toilet!"_

_Arisa made a face, ensuring to cover Segumi's ears – the bespectacled girl blinked in confusion._

_"Only you can make sentences sound so wrong," Iwaizumi shaking his head disapprovingly, Segumi laughed._

_"Also! I wanted to boast my beautiful girlfriend!" Oikawa loudly proclaimed, attracting the attention of passersby. Arisa's face was practically burning at this point, keeping her head low._

_Seeing her adorably red face, Oikawa takes Arisa by the hand and away from both teams._

_"Oikawa!" Iwaizumi called._

_"Yes, yes, Iwa-chan, just give me a minute!"_

_When they reached an empty corridor, Oikawa takes Arisa by the chin before firmly pressing his lips against hers. The dark-haired girl slowly relaxed into it, kissing him back, parting breathlessly._

_"I hate you sometimes," that made him chuckle, holding her close, feeling her camera pressed up against his belly._

_"No, you don't."_

_Rolling her eyes, she didn't deny his claim, fighting off a smile. "Come on, your match is coming up soon."_

_"Let's stay a while first," his hold tightened around her, burying his nose in her hair. "I want to spend more time with my Arisa. Also, I want Iwa-chan to spend some time with Tanaka-chan."_

_They giggle at that, Arisa putting her camera aside to accommodate her boyfriend's hug._

_Bringing her head up to his, she aptly tells him. "Go win some, okay?"_

_He smirked. "Always."_

_And they did. As did the girls' team later that day._

_Lips pulling into a grin, his head would automatically turn to the stands, eyes quick to find a dark-haired girl, a camera slung around her neck and the most beautiful smile on her face. Even from afar, he could see the love in those grey-blue eyes of hers, pride filled them as well, making his insides warm. It took a whack in the head from Iwaizumi to bring him back to present._

_Honestly, it still freaks her out to hear him casually say that he loves her. They were only 17, what do they know about love?_

_Then again, love was an illogical thing, unexplainable even to science. For others, it was the greatest force on earth, strong enough to wage wars, end it even._

_In spite of herself, if there was one thing she was sure of, just being with him again – the familiarity of comfort and assurance of his presence – it was enough for her. In times where life just seemed to take a shit on her, her remedy was him. When she couldn't take the heat of her parent's expectations, there was him who could quiet out her fears and insecurities. She loved him for it, for having the ability to just shut out the world for one second and give her a sense of peace._

_No, this was not her in love with the idea of him, she was in love with how magical he was – cheesy, dorky, sensitive, and a bit childish that is Oikawa Toru._

_She knew he was waiting for her to say it, was willing to wait until then, but the truth was, how can you say those three words so casually? How was he so sure about what he felt about her? How long can she keep him waiting until she finally says it?_

 

_..._

 

Her cousin looked like a whale. Well, not literally, more like she had hidden a volleyball under her tracksuit.

"How many months are you along now?" Arisa couldn't help but ask.

"About seven months now." Her cousin replied, rubbing her hand on her belly.

"Girl, right?"

"Yeah," sighed the older woman, the side of her lip curling. "Masato's kind of mad, though."

That made Arisa smile, at the mention of her nephew. "He'll get used to it."

"Oh, he will." The older woman assured, gripping the whistle around her neck the other held to her trusty megaphone. "By the way, I heard you're dating Karasuno's vice-captain."

Arisa scoffed. "Am not, we're just friends."

The older woman raised a brow, disbelieving her claim.

"Really, we're not," Arisa stresses, pressing her heels together, feeling a burn through her thighs.

"Okay then, you're not." Just as she thought the conversation died there, the older woman continued. "Just," she paused, contemplating on her next words. "give yourself time. It's not enough that they make you happy, you have to actually feel something more. And more importantly," she spared her a soft look "be careful of your heart, okay?"

She blinked at that, pulling her knees to her chest. "That's rare, some sage advice from you."

"It's free," shrugged the older woman, in this light, she seemed a lot younger her features softened – probably by the pregnancy.

She thinks back on her cousin's words – no doubt, something said from experience, working on a small smile. "Thanks anyway."

"By the way, I know you were thinking I looked like a whale, you little shit."

The cousins shared a laugh.

 

...

 

_Weeks passed, and things sailed on smoothly – Oikawa with his volleyball, Arisa with her photography duties, their relationship strong as ever._

_When in court, Oikawa never felt more alive. Volleyball was his passion, after all. And when he played, he played to win. But now, Oikawa knew he had more reasons to give his all – he wanted to give Arisa a good shot, and he wanted to make her proud. As much as he loved volleyball, he made sure to have time for Arisa._

_But it wasn't always sunshine and rainbows._

_Sure, there were days when Oikawa wouldn't mean to snap at her, because of all the stress. There were days when Arisa was cold, not because it was her time of the month – because she had it every two months – but because of her parents' pestering. And every time, they always fall back to each other – Arisa sternly lecturing him as she applied moisturizer on his hands, Arisa patiently waiting for him finish practice, Oikawa holding her tight as she slept, Oikawa building a tent fort and they'd have a movie marathon - i_ _t was the little things._

_And in the few months they got back together, the more they got to know the other better, learning ways to treat them better._

_And then there was the big things, ones that could never be avoided. Apparently, they knew each other_ too _much._

_Life was unpredictable like that – it had its ups, and it had its downs, some days were great, some not so much._

_Of course, they'd fight like any other couples – from the teeniest things to the big ones. They'd scream and shout at each other, at each other's throats every time they tried to talk sense into the other. Sometimes, someone intervened (like Iwaizumi, Segumi, or Aiko-nee-san). It was exhausting really, on an emotional scale._

_But at the end of the day, they always,_ always  _came back together for the fear of losing the other was too great._

_"I didn't mean it," Oikawa would tell her through throngs of pleasure, burying deep inside her. "I'm sorry, Arisa…" the pace of his thrusts was dizzying, as was the feel of her walls around him. Her moans fueled his need, increasing his pace._

_"T-Toru…" Fingers dragged down his back, marring his flesh with red lines._

_He hissed at that, taking one of her hands into his mouth, pressing a kiss. Her heart squeezed at the gesture. His brown eyes met her grey-blue ones, seeing the storm quell, the galaxies gathering._

_"Arisa…"_

_She arched against him, holding tight. Hot breath fanned her slick skin, his forehead pressed against the side of her head._

_Together, they reached their climax, hard, their names spilling from each other's mouths._

_He falls on top of her, hands instinctively drawing her to him, never letting go._

_Neither of the two speaks for a while, their thoughts hazy from their activities and their fight._

_Fighting, they've been fighting a lot lately._

_To be honest, she almost forgot what they were fighting about – these past few days, something inside her has been dying to pick up fights lately. Between the two, Oikawa's the moody one, not her. And Oikawa just loved to rile her up whenever he picked up on something. It was tiring, really._

_They weren't okay, that much was clear. But they'll get through it, they always do._

_"I'm sorry," he says against her skin, pulling her close. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry."_

_Arisa's only reply was to hold him, feeling him shake in her arms. "I love you so much," he whispered, tears spilling down his cheeks, pressing butterfly kisses against her skin. Arisa bit down her lip, running her fingers through his hair while tears fell quietly._

_Just how can he say it so easily like that?_

 

_..._

 

_"You're just using me to hurt Tobi!"_

_Something had changed in both of them after the quarterfinals – suddenly, Oikawa was being too much, too possessive, too controlling; Arisa would respond passive-aggressively after countless attempts to calm him down. From then, it would be series of cold interactions, arguments, avoidance, and confusion, and then it came to this._

_"Not everything is about him!"_

_"Isn't it?" the thoughts she's been thinking the past few days – the dark thoughts haunting her, ones she's feared finally came to light – the familiar and unsettling feeling from junior high school. "If before you won't teach Tobi to jump serve to spite him, you flirting with other girls is your way of spiting him tenfold. You want to hurt Tobi by hurting me," she was visibly shaking, nails digging into her skin. "You just want to hurt me."_

_He looks up at Arisa, at loss for words, the looks she throws him silencing him – her beautiful face contorted to hurt and hate._

_"What? You think I didn't know? Kaede saw you! You were flirting with one of your fans!" A part of her died when Kaede reluctantly told her of what she saw, of what she's been seeing for the past few days when Arisa was busy with her duties in the school paper. At first, she didn't want to believe her. Oh, she knew Kaede wasn't a liar, but she didn't want to hear the one's worst fear when in a relationship._

_In hindsight, he could apologize and tell her he needed a distraction from everything. But he caught himself, letting out a scoff instead as an answer, his expression dark. "You just love to stir me up, don't you? Bring back my mistakes?"_

_"So you won't lie that you_ did _flirt with your fans?" her voice rose, her tone biting. "Are you trying to change the subject? Because that's not going to work on me, Tooru." She says his name with so much venom, his name unfamiliar to her tongue._

 _"Oh, now_ I'm  _changing the subject?" he sneered, tone mocking. "Isn't that your department?"_

_"Where are you even going with this?" she could feel her throat hurting, the fire burning in her belly, as if ready to be spouted._

_"Here you go again," he sighed, exasperated, eyes rolling as he threw his hands to his sides. "being so bossy, trying to manipulate me with guilt."_

_She blinks rapidly, but she smarts at this. "And here you are again being such an insensitive brat of an ass!" In another time, that would've been funny, and they would've laughed. This was not the time._

_Sighing, Oikawa takes a step back and runs a hand across his face and fists them in his hair. How did things get way out of hand so fast?_

_"You know what, it's been a long day. How about we- "_

_Arisa charged at him, head shaking. "Oh no, don't you think I'm letting you off this easy."_

_"Jesus, Arisa, what the fuck do you want from me? You are always like this, one minute you're playing the victim, the next you're calling me names to butter me up- "_

_"I'm not buttering you up!" her voice rose sharply._

_"Then why are you acting like this?"_

_"It's because you're not listening to me, you're not answering me straight, you're dodging my questions! Fine, yes, I do change the subject, but that's only because I have my own shit that I don't want you to deal with."_

_All the tension from the past week rose up with each word thrown at each other, neither wanting to back down and give the other the advantage, to slip for their benefit._

_"Then why don't we just break-up?" he says with a smile, his expression twisted, eyes full of malice._

_She's almost not sure if she heard him correctly._

_"…what?" her voice cracks._

_"You heard me, let's break-up." He says, with much more clarity – she didn't miss his voice cracking, neither did she comment on it._

_There was a lump in her throat that's making it hard to talk all of a sudden. "Are you serious?"_

_"This is what you're aiming for, isn't it? Apparently, you don't trust me anymore, I can't trust you." He squeezed his eyes, swallowing thickly – pondering deeply, before opening his eyes towards her to ask. "Do you even love me?" he regards her with a hard look, his voice was almost begging._

_That should be an easy question to answer, but Arisa couldn't answer him, having held herself back from the feeling. She had nothing to say. And apparently, that was enough for him. He nodded at her silence, turning his back to her._

_Cold dread washed over her, leaving her numb; Arisa could hardly think straight, could barely feel the ground beneath her feet. Somehow, with a broken voice, she managed to ask. "Answer me this Toru, answer my question: were you trying to hurt me?"_

_Oikawa sighed shakily. "Yes."_

 

_..._

 

"Nee-san?"

"Hmm?" The girl looked up, from the flowers they picked, to the young boy beside her.

Each day, he looked more and more like Takeru. It was the blue in his eyes – a trademark feature in their family. However, Takeru had a child-like mien in those blue eyes of his – so full of wonder and hope, Tobio's was full of mystery and promise. Takeru's hair was more brownish than it was black, and it was wavy, something he got from their mother. And through the years, the two were more than used to the phrase 's/he looks like your male/female counterpart' – except for the eyes, of course.

"…Do you think Takeru would have been into sports?" he asked, carefully.

Arisa paused, thinking about it. Her silence worried him. Swirls of smoke rose from the incense stick – smelling faintly of scented wood – the way it danced as it rose was like an interpretation of her mind, how thoughts formed before dispersing after being said.

"Maybe." She answered, running her fingers over her brother's tombstone.

Kageyama looked down on the tombstone, eyes familiar with the name engraved. His eyes trailed back at the older teen, who was smiling sadly at the flowers. Unconsciously, his hands balled into a fist, remembering his cousin's tears, her pain.

Too lost in thought, he hadn't noticed his cousin snap a photo of him.

She giggled, lowering her camera, plastering on a smile. "Sorry, I had to. Come on, let's go."

Now that he thinks about it, she's been visiting Takeru's grave more frequently lately.

 

...

 

_There was a thin line between love and hate._

_Clearly, he seemed fine just after their break-up. And Arisa? As much as she smiled, she was struggling to pick the pieces she herself destroyed when she was with Oikawa._

_She didn't actually think that it would be that bad, having gone through a break-up before. But it was harder this time, this time, she was actually feeling something. And this time, she knew she was in the wrong._

_To ease her pain, she decided to watch Tobi's game, only to be shocked at how terrible he had played. He was being too much, too oppressive, too demanding – it wore the team out, no matter how much points they gained. It didn't satisfy him._

_She wanted so badly to get on the court and shake the boy that wore her cousin's uniform, to shake off the unfamiliar boy she was seeing – but no, this was Tobi. It was far from the meek, timid boy she knew. That was definitely the worst match of his._

_Only when one of his team let his toss slide did she hear her heart break. Their coach called a time-out, calling him out of the court for the rest of the game._

_"Geez, what a selfish kid."_

_"He deserved to get benched."_

_"I wouldn't want him on_ my _team."_

_After the match, she went after their team, desperately looking for her cousin. Her worry for her cousin had been mistaken as hate towards the team, seeing as she brushed them off._

_When she did find him he looked horrible, like the world had ripped him off, cast him aside. It was a painful sight._

_Without a word, she takes her cousin in her arms, not saying a word but held him close._

_He felt cold, stiff. The boy didn't realize his cousin's presence until her warmth washed over him, the realization dawning on him. Eventually, his shoulder began shaking, sobs breaking out of his mouth. And she cried with him, her heart breaking for him._

 

_..._

 

Autumn was her favorite season. More often than not the weather was cold and dreary, but making up for it was the colors of leaves falling off, wilting off now that their time was up. It was the season of crispy leaves, of sweaters, and pretty, warm earthy colors – it was all too picturesque.

Taking up her suggestion, the volleyball girls team were all coddled in a corner of the café they were in, enjoying the warmth of being together, sharing stories over a cup of hot drinks and cookies – apparently, a majority of the team had a sweet tooth like their captain.

Arisa was half-listening, her attention was outside, lost in her little bubble as she admired the scenery outside.

_Goodbye summer, hello autumn._

Inwardly, she laughed, catching the reference there – almost hearing someone else's comment as she laughed into it.

The bell jingled, a group of boys entering the café.

Apparently, the boys' team thought it was a good idea to have a sip of autumn drinks after practice as well. Greetings were exchanged from both teams, but Arisa pretended to be too lost in the scenery to even notice their arrival. She didn't look up, wrapping her fingers around her mug as she looked out.

 _Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall_ , she quoted in her head, smoothing her thumbs around the mug.

 

...

 

_She was crazy, she thought as she heard the ringing on the other line. No, scratch that, she's not crazy, she's stupid._

_On the fourth ring, the line picked up, Arisa tightened her grip on her phone._

_"Arisa?"_

_At the sound of his voice, Arisa hesitated, almost. "Hey, Toru," saying his name felt like a heavy weight on her heart – she didn't deserve to speak his name. "are you happy?"_

_He was going to be captain, she knew that._

_And he had a new girlfriend._

_Why was she even doing this? She must be crazy._

_"..."_

_She heard a sharp intake of breath on the other line. Leaning her head against the wall, she worked on a small smile, a bit forced and sad. "I guess you are, huh?"_

_There was a long silence that she wondered if he dropped the phone, or was planning to drop the call. She put a hand to her mouth, concealing a whimper that lodged in her throat._

_"...I'm hanging up-"_

_Yes, she was in the wrong._

_Yes, she was at fault this time._

_And yes, what she was doing was incredibly stupid, but she had been staring at her phone for a good hour now, her thoughts gnawing at her, bottling her up until it forced her to say the three traitorous words that could've prevented all this – her voice cracking so much, but the words were clear, "I love you."_

_Without waiting for his reply, she hung up. And then she cried._

 

_..._

 

7 months.

They lasted that long.

That was a record.

People started talking, how they wouldn't last long, that they were doomed from the start, that one of them was bound to fall out – she believed them.

Her break was spent crying. She cried to Segumi, to her mom, her grandfather, her godfather, to Takeru's grave. It felt like she was pouring her heart out, the pain was almost like when she lost Takeru, when Tobio changed – like all of the worst pain in one.

And in the months of break, it made Arisa focus on living with the pain, the same pain she dealt with in middle school. The first time hurt like hell, the second time was much worse. She thought the pain from losing Takeru hurt, or when Tobi turned for the worst, but heartbreak felt like dying in the most literal sense.

The first days of her third year were hard, especially after seeing him with other girls.

He was Oikawa fucking Toru, there's no way he'd run out of girls.

She'd be lying if she said that she moved on from their break-up. It still hurt.

She'd like to believe that things were different this time around because she's more mature now. But really, nothing beats the pain of having your heart shattered by the one you love especially the second time around.

That's why she hated to start all over again because she hated pretending that certain things didn't happen and that one person can get away with it easily.

And as much as she was in pain, she couldn't help but worry about him. He wasn't a good of an actor as he believed himself to be, she saw the cracks. But like always, she's to stay mum about it. Who was she in his life anymore?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Truth be told, this is such a hard chapter to write, I almost cried writing the break-up and it was so hard finding a reason for them to break-up the second time (yes, I’m that cruel). I went as far as looking up how zodiac signs deal with breakups for an idea (Arisa is a Taurus, Oikawa is a Cancer – and to my surprise, they’re very compatible). Doubling the factor for a near tearjerker was the fact that I was listening to these songs on repeat: Happier by Ed Sheeran (the break-up theme song btw), City of Stars by Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone (which is the music box, btw), Hero by Regina Spektor and a bit of Sick of Losing Soulmates by dodie. Last on the list, another break-up theme song that just got me when I wrote the phone call – Malaya by Moira Dela Torre (look it up, esp its English translation. Title literally translates to ‘Free’). The reason why it was so hard to get this chapter done was that I wanted to put out that it was both their faults, especially with Arisa. Believe me, I did so many reading. Even went as far as recalling my big sister’s/friend’s breakups. GAH  
> EDITED: Since I first posted this, I was VERY unsatisfied with what I had written because it feels so half-baked. Liek, GAH. Also, I want to clarify that yes, Oikawa was at fault, but the one at most was Arisa. Clearly, I didn’t get it right (ↀДↀ)⁼³₌₃]


	10. ix

**[ix]**

 

The travel time from Miyagi to Kyoto took about nine hours. It was nine grueling hours of nonstop travel – bus to train, train to bus.

As always, Oikawa and Arisa were together – being in the same class, making it their fifth year together – funny how being classmates lasted longer than being in a relationship.

The moment Arisa sat down on the bus, her eyes dropped and off she went, spared of the terrible puns from the tour guide on their way to their destination. The light splayed down on them, filling them with a sort of glow, making Arisa look ethereal as she slept, her face pressed up against the window, her gentle breathing fogging up the glass.

“I know Yoshizawa’s a sleeper and all, but how can she sleep through all this racket?” asked a classmate from behind him.

The bus was loud, with students chattering among themselves over their excitement with the trip, their tour guide giving information about their destination with her incessant need to draw puns ever once in a while – really, it was hard to sleep in this environment.

“She must be a heavy sleeper,” deduced another classmate. “It can’t be helped, we’ve been moving a lot today.”

As the bus took a turn, Arisa’s head swayed before landing on her seatmate’s shoulder – a female classmate and the class representative, snoring lightly.

“Seriously, how can she still be asleep?”

Oikawa laughed quietly, watching the sleeping girl from the corner of his eye. He had been listening to the tour guide when his ears picked up the talk behind him at the mention of Arisa. What he wouldn’t give to snap a photo of her sleeping.

Once their bus stopped, their class rep – Takeuchi, was it? – gently shook the sleeping girl awake. Groggily, Arisa got off the bus, her trusty camera slung over her shoulder, and met up with Tanaka.

School trips were supposed to be an educational time to appreciate Japan’s culture and civilization, to appreciate the fruits of their ancestor’s labors during the country’s trying times. Or so the Ministry of Education believes, for some students tended to use this time to make a move with their classmates or students from other schools, being outside the school grounds and all gave them a lot of freedom. In Oikawa’s case, there were the inescapable fans from different schools who’d approach him wherever he went. He couldn’t appreciate the sights with fans trailing after him.

To say the least, the trip was a refreshing break from studies and volleyball. If only his fans could get that.

The sound of clicking cuts him off his thoughts, he turned his head, finding Arisa, taking photos per usual. She was with Tanaka and a few girls from the volleyball team, but her attention was solely on the shrine, looking entranced by the temple they were in.

Throughout the trip Arisa had been attentive to her surroundings, often staring too long at figures, monuments, and shrines, with a faraway look in her eyes. She seemed like she was in her own world.

And throughout the trip, he noted a few guys looking at Arisa, admiring the dark-haired beauty. His face soured when one of them was brave enough to approach her, to which she’d gently turn them down. On one occasion, she was talking with a tourist and fellow photography/history enthusiast – the two talked like old friends. It irked him, Arisa really was a pretty girl – one of the prettiest in their whole year.

During the whole trip, Arisa was Oikawa’s primary concern, always keeping an eye on her even though he knew she was more than capable of taking care of herself. He couldn’t help it. It was hard to stay away from her like it was his first instinct.

Chancing a look at Arisa across him, her eyes glued on the pamphlet, drinking in the information before looking around with a brand-new set of eyes – history was her favorite subject, so he could understand why. It sure was nice to finally come face to face with real-life monuments that left an impression in history, but it’ll probably mean more if you actually looked it up and looked beyond its context.

He managed to score a photo opportunity with her – when both teams gathered, they took group shots, and Arisa, being the stereotypical photographer friend that she was, took their photo. Just as the team split, he took a quick selfie with the dark-haired girl and ran towards Iwa-chan, Makki and Mattsun. (Thankfully, it wasn’t blurry. He had a learned a thing or two from Arisa, after all)

 

…

 

“You’ve got to be shitting me.”

Alarmed by her sudden outburst, the bespectacled brunette turns to her friend. “What’s wrong, Arisa?”

Running a hand through her hair, Arisa let out a frustrated sigh. “Remember that family friend’s son my dad wants me to befriend? Turns out, their school is having a trip in Kyoto as well.”

“Wow, what a coincidence. Most schools would usually take trips in May.”

Upon hearing that, Arisa drew out another frustrated sigh, blowing on her bangs. “Just my fucking luck then.”

Unfazed by Arisa’s language, Segumi inquired. “What’s his name?”

“Beef.”

“Eh?”

“It was beef something,” Arisa tells her, flipping her phone close before pocketing it.

“Beef, as in the cow?”

“Yeah, that’s all I got. I may or may have misheard it, but I don’t care. After all, I wasn’t interested. But dad keeps pestering me and so does grandpa.”

Having known her friend’s situation, Segumi felt helpless for her.

“That might mean that they’re really good friends with the family then.” The brunette offered kindly, walking in step with the dark-haired teen. “You should give them a chance, you know. Or at least give them this, then they’ll stop.”

Sighing heavily, Arisa side-eyes Segumi before shoving her shoulder. “You always know what to say, Segumi.”

“I always do.” Segumi smiled, relieved. “Now, ‘ _Ushi’_ , (cow)? Hmm.”

“It’s not such a common name, is it?”

“I don’t think so.” Segumi shook her head. “It also sounds kind of old, almost sophisticated.”

A flock of birds flies overhead, their figure crossing through the sun’s rays. Arisa watched them disappear into the sky. “Now that I think about it, there’s only ever one person that comes to mind.”

Reading the look on her face, it took Segumi a few seconds to process it. And then, when she came to it, she startled. “You don’t mean-?”

“Ushijima Wakatoshi.”

Right as she said that, Segumi pulls her to a stop. Arisa turned to her friend, noting the surprised look on her face before following her gaze.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear: their topic of interest, in uniform, together with a few third-years from the Shiratorizawa volleyball club.

"…"

"…well, this is awkward."

"Yoshizawa Arisa."

"Ushijima Wakatoshi."

The olive-haired teen regarded the girl in front of him. Arisa did the same, feeling small in his 190-cm presence even though she was a good 173-cm.

“Oh? Hey, I know you! You’re that photographer from Seijoh!” A tall redhead – Tendou Satori – popped out, breaking the silence as he pointed at her.

“Ah, y-yeah.”

“Satori, don’t point!” yelled a light-haired-teen she knew was Semi Eita.

“Do you know her, Wakatoshi?” a tall Japanese-American teen, she knew to be Ohira Reon, asked.

“Wait a sec, I remember her back in middle school.” a boy with an undercut hair – Yamagata Hayato, cuts in. “She was that famed MVP.”

Inwardly, Arisa groaned at the sound of that.

“Did you need something from me?” asked Ushijima.

 _Ah, such a straight-laced lad,_ thought Arisa. _Never one to beat around the bush._

“Ah, yeah…um,” _Okay, how do I say this without it being awkward than it already is?_ “We need to talk.” There was no easier way of saying things, especially when they were so awkward.

Terse silence filled the air, Ushijima regarding her with mien she can’t read. “Yes, I think we should.”

Having sensed the need for privacy, both Segumi and the volleyball team excused themselves.

The two then head to a nearby park, sitting on a bench that overlooked the river – serene and quiet, away from any hindrance – a respectable distance between them. Ushijima sat still, his posture straight and his eyes set straight. Arisa chews on her lower lip, eyes looking around.

“If my memory serves me right, Kageyama Tobio is your cousin, is he not?”

His question caught her off-guard, but Arisa nods. “Sounds like you’ve already met him.”

“I met him on the street during roadwork.” At that, Arisa frowned, just what has Tobi been up to? “He is a rather talented young boy, as is his partner.”

“Hinata-kun? I’m surprised you know him.” Just thinking about the redhead brings a smile to her face, especially knowing how great he gets along with her cousin, what a team they make. “And yeah, he is. They are.” Taking a deep breath, she leaned back on the bench, eyes looking at the water. “You better watch out for them.”

Ushijima says nothing but regards her words, a sort of glimmer crossing his eyes before they disappear as the water ripples, caused by a fish’s motion.

“I suppose we are to talk about the engagement our families have proposed?” asks the olive-haired teen, once they’ve broken the ice.

Her eyes fell shut, exhaling through her nose, but nods anyway.

“How long have you known?” When she opens them, the skies were turning purple.

“A while.”

Because his father married into his mother’s family, he had to uphold their traditions. Arisa’s heart squeezed at the mention of his parent’s divorce, how his father had to move overseas. She didn’t say much, said very little as he spoke. They weren’t so different, she realized – Arisa herself grew up in a strict household, well, strict in the terms of upholding traditions. Being a firstborn, much was expected of her, especially since she was born a gender her parents never expected.

Arisa sighed. “This is so weird.”

“What is?”

“This, us,” she gestured with her hands “talking. The arrangement. We barely exchanged three sentences in the past. And we’ve never even met considering our families’ close ties.”

Ushijima regarded her words, nodding once. “That is true. But I’ve always admired you, Yoshizawa. You were an admirable player.”

It was almost enough to make her blush, she settled for a smile.

“It was such a shame that you had to retire early.”

Arisa couldn’t help but roll her eyes at that. “I knew you were going to say that,” she laughed. “way to ruin the mood.”

“I apologize.”

She snorted. “I was just messing with you. By the way, don’t you find it strange?”

“You’ve already said that.”

“Yeah, but I mean, our family are friends, and they want to set us up together. I mean, who does that anymore?”

“I take you’re not in favor of the agreement?”

“Well, duh. I even fought with my parents about this, my dad most especially.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Don’t be. That was a year ago.”

Ushijima was quiet for a while, collecting his thoughts before replying. “To be honest, I too found it strange, but I had little to say as I grew up in a strict household. ‘That’s how we do things,’ they would tell me. I understand that they want what’s best for me. However, I was also uncomfortable with the idea of being engaged to a stranger. I had to talk to them about it until we came to a sound decision that maybe we should talk things through before deciding what happens then.”

Uncharacteristically, he leans forward, resting his elbows on his thighs, threading his fingers together. “When I was told that I was to be engaged with you, I felt a sort of relief.”

“Why?”

Visibly relaxing, he sighed. “I knew you at least, and we had something in common. But on the other hand, I felt like I was imposing myself, especially when you were with Oikawa.”

Arisa wanted to retort, wanted to correct him, but couldn’t find herself to. “You’re surprisingly deep about this.” She says instead.

“So I’ve been told.” He turns to her, olive eyes watching her. “I take this settles it, then?”

Grey-blue eyes level with his. “Yes, I guess it does.”

“You sound relieved.”

“Oh, I am. Now my dad can get off my back.”

“I do wish I had your rebellious streak,” Ushijima remarked, offering a rare smile. “Tendou says it’d help me look younger.”

Unable to help herself, Arisa snorted, breaking into a fit of giggles. No way can she think of the great Ushijima to be like her, it’s so out of character.

“You’re being blunt is kind of funny sometimes.” Stars slowly peeked out in the sky, spreading across the blanket of darkness, the moon yet to reveal itself. Folding her hands away, she regards the olive-haired teen with a slight nod. “Anyway, it was nice talking to you, Ushijima-san.”

“Shall I walk you to your hotel?” he stands, almost immediately.

“No, it’s okay. I can manage.” The park lights up, filling in the darkness.

“I insist.”

“N-No, it’s fine really.”

“Yoshizawa, please. Also, you needn’t worry, our hotel is a few blocks away.”

She sighed, surrendering. “Fine.”

 _Ushijima sure was a gentleman_ , Arisa thought. _Figures, growing up with a strict family and all._

The walk was pleasant, the silence comforting between the two. Every once in a while, they would talk about the trip – it was amusing to find that Ushijima had an affinity for history as well. And when he wasn’t looking, Arisa snapped a photo of him. He didn’t seem to mind.

When her hotel came to view, she turned to the tall teen, grinning gratefully.

“Thank you for walking me, Ushijima-san.”

“You’re welcome, Yoshizawa. Good night.” And with that, he left.

And just like that, she felt like a huge weight was lifted off her shoulders – not all of it, but some. God, she was tired of her life looking like a cliché anime. She could never catch a break.

Walking into the hotel, she found Oikawa waiting for her in the lobby, arms crossed over his chest, his tie loose, it was almost never loose.

“Why were you with Ushiwaka?” he asked, louder than expected. People were looking their way, but he didn’t care.

“We were just talking.” She adjusts her strap over her shoulder, fiddling with the material.

“About what?”

Arisa rubbed her arm, avoiding Oikawa’s eyes. She took a peek at him, seeing the anger in his usually warm eyes. “…he was the family friend’s son.”

Visibly, his jaw twitched, something crossed his eyes before it washed away instantly. “I see.” His arms drop to his sides, slowly turning away. “You better get in before sensei notices you’re gone. I’ve made stalled you some time.”

Suddenly feeling exhausted from their exchange, Arisa could only nod and follow after him.

 

…

 

On the last day of their school trip, Oikawa was just walking along with Iwaizumi back to their hotel – the skies dark, since it was late, he and his friend made a last-minute purchase for his sister – passing through small forest park when they heard a thump, followed by the sound of a girl crying. Instantly, a chill ran down their spine with uneasiness.

Kyoto was an old city after all, with urban legends everywhere of the supernatural. The crying sounded close, dangerously close. With every step they took, Oikawa clung close to his friend, who was holding his hands up in defense – both anticipating a scary sight.

However, instead of finding a crying faceless ghost, they found a familiar crying brown-haired girl.

“Tanaka!?”

The girl let out a scared yelp, squinting her eyes in their direction. “W-Who’s there!?”

There were scratches on her legs, her glasses a few feet away from her; she had probably tripped over and was looking for her glasses. Quickly, the two rushes to her, Iwaizumi assisting her to the nearest bench while Oikawa fetched her glasses.

“T-Thank you…” she says when her glasses were handed out to her, shakily putting them on.

“What are you even doing here, Tanaka?” Iwaizumi was quick to ask.

Segumi sniffled, tears starting anew. “I-I was looking for Arisa.”

“Yoshizawa?” Oikawa instantly perked at the sound of her name, body stilling. “What’s she doing out here? And at this hour?”

Wiping her eyes with the back of her hands, her glasses pushed up, Segumi explained. “She said she wanted to check something out and snuck out. I chased after her, not wanting her to get in trouble and before I knew it, I lost her!” the poor girl was shaking like a leaf, clinging close to Oikawa.

Hanamaki had mentioned that his childhood friend was a bit of a coward – scared of bugs, ghosts, the dark, and thunderstorms. In another time, Oikawa might have used this time to tease his best friend, but his thoughts flew to Arisa, who was somewhere in this forest.

“Have you tried contacting her?” Iwaizumi asked, worried more about her being than her clinging unto Oikawa.

The brunette shook her head. “She didn’t bring her phone with her!”

Bile formed in his mouth, he swallowed hard. Getting to his feet, Oikawa looks out the forest, hands clenching.

“Iwa-chan, would you kindly escort Tanaka-chan back to the hotel?”

“Sure,” he gently takes his crush from him, who quickly clings to his arm. Iwaizumi turned to his friend in question. “But where are you going?”

With his back turned, a mad rush of emotions flowed through him, memories from last year rushing back from when she went missing. “I’m going to look for Arisa.”

 

…

 

He sprinted through the park, peeling his eyes open for a familiar hide of dark hair. Dark, like the night. Just his luck. Oikawa cursed under his breath.

_Why does Arisa have a terrible knack for running off? Ever since high school started, she’s become reckless as of late._

A wave of cold air hit him, he sucked in a breath. His heart pounded against his chest, as if ready to pop out. The cool breeze kissed his heated skin. Surely, he’s circled the park countless times now. It was a rather large park, with fewer people considering that it was late.

Lights that shone throughout the park reminded him of tiny light bugs, scattering around. Oikawa could see his breath when he exhaled, pulling on his jacket.

Catching his breath, realization fell onto him as he remembered the nature of Arisa, he threw a frustrated hand through his hair and looked up at the forest. This _was_ an open park after all.

With a huff of determination, he sprinted towards the trees, feeling the leaves crunch under his feet, keeping his eyes open for any signs of Arisa.

Beneath his feet, the grass was wet and cool. The deeper into the forest he walked into, the darker it became, the park lights dimming behind him the further he walked. Oikawa took out his phone, switching the flashlight on.

Scanning through the dark, he noticed pressed leaves on the ground, slightly leveled differently from the rest that leads up – a path.

He jogged up the rise of the hill, fighting down the panic inside of him. He was sure to give her an earful when he found Arisa.

Although it was dark, Oikawa could tell that the forest was breathtaking – all the green and fauna around him. The crunch of rocks, the squish of soft leaves under his feet, and his breathing were the things Oikawa could make out in the dark before he heard a soft trickling of water.

Up ahead, he could see the crystal waters reflecting the moon overhead. It was less dark now, the moon providing a natural light, Oikawa put his phone away. Still, he had to squint, as the forest was dark as it is.

Relief washed over him – his breath came out like small clouds, the season of fall was either warm or cold – when finally, _finally,_ he found her.

With her back towards him, Arisa was standing on top of a large boulder, looking around her surroundings. He stopped at the sight of her, nearly running himself over. She had donned a hoodie and wore pajama pants (thank god), her trusty camera was slung around her neck, but she wasn’t using it. Strange.

Just as he was about to call out to her, he paused when he realized the look on her face – tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she looked so lost in the moment, as if she was in her element, the same expression he’d see when she played. The anger he was feeling, the frustration, it all just washed away.

Gently, he walked up to her, she hadn’t noticed, too lost in the scene. Tilting her head back, she drew in a deep breath, arms stretched to her sides – letting the cold air kiss her skin, play with her hair, fill her lungs with the air of the aged city.

Seemingly satisfied, she took a step back, about to leave, when she lost her footing and slipped. Had Oikawa not been there, she would’ve given Segumi (and her poor mother) a heart attack. Without a word, he so quickly, and angrily took her over his shoulder.

A yelp escaped her mouth, hastily holding unto her camera, quickly switching the power off, as she almost dropped it. Arisa struggled to turn and see who her captor was, who had a strong grip on her. “Wha- Who- Oikawa!?”

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” he scolds, his anger and frustration returning, threading carefully through the rocks, hand holding onto nearby trees to maintain his balance. “It’s late! You had all the time to wander Kyoto in _broad daylight,_ could get in trouble for wandering around after curfew, not to mention Tanaka-chan’s worried sick about you!”

At the mention of her friend, Arisa looked guilty but turned away to hide it from him. “I already told her I was going out for a bit. She’s just a worrywart.”

Oh, how he wanted to scream at her face right then and there. “You’ve been gone for two hours!” he tells her, feeling the crunch of rocks under his feet. “Iwa-chan and I found her crying in the middle of the park, with scratches on her legs, like she slipped on the ground looking for you! Really, how insensitive could you be?”

She opened her mouth, about to retort, only to have them shut. Segumi came to mind, she was worried about her best friend, knowing how much of a coward she was. He was right, but she didn't want him to know that, to let him have the benefit of being right. So, she shut up.

Turning to him, she taps on his shoulder. "Just put me down." Grey-blue eyes worriedly casting at his right knee.

"I will when we get to a solid ground," he tells her, carefully making his way down. Oikawa hears her sigh, letting him carry her out. The relief of finding her was quickly replaced by a sense of familiarity with Arisa on his shoulder, of a memory that felt so long ago. He wondered if she thought the same thing.

Once settled to the ground, Arisa huffed, eyes glancing up when something caught her eye.

"Wait, wait," she calls out, whispering, repeatedly tapping on his shoulders just as his hands touched her hips. "don't put me down!"

"What?"

"Just don't put me down yet!" she repeated in a rushed voice, alarmingly soft and low.

Quickly taking hold of her camera, switching it on, Arisa made a small sound of glee before she began to take photos.

Curious, Oikawa looked over her shoulder, finding her snapping away at tiny lights flittering around them, gracing them with their presence – fireflies.

He didn't know what was so enticing about them, but apparently, Arisa does. They were like stars, except tinier, and that they were bugs – practically lighting bugs. And apparently, despite the rather odd and uncomfortable angle, it seemed to work quite well.

A few rapid clicks followed, Arisa's breath hitching in excitement. Oikawa was reminded of a song he couldn’t put, just looking at the bugs around them. Arisa used to hum it too.

"Okay, you can put me down now."

When he did, there was a huge grin on her face – the widest most child-like expression, he’s ever seen, face illuminated by her camera screen. The fireflies danced around them, lighting up the sleepy forest.

"Have a look," she gushed excitedly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she approached. His fingers itched to do just that, but he fought the urge to do so.

Leaning down towards her, Oikawa inspected the camera and was met with surreal shots Arisa had taken – all of them, very illuminating and clear. The angle she used definitely worked in her favor. There was a sense of calm and nostalgia in them akin to soft baroque music.

"This is amazing, I didn't know you could do this."

Humming, she takes a few steps, a triumphant smile on her face. "There's a lot of things you don't know about me." That hurt, but he kept it to himself. That was a lie. "Truth be told, this was honestly one of the reasons why I was looking forward to this trip.” She confessed, engrossed with her photos before looking up, meeting the many lighting bugs around her. Sticking her hand out, she flexed out her fingers, as if commanding the bugs to land on her fingers. “As a photographer, capturing something beautiful is of topmost priority." When none of them approached, she dropped her hand to her sides.

"Is that why you quit playing?"

Arisa paused, falling silent. Slowly, a smile crossed her face – soft and tranquil, it didn’t reach her eyes though. "At first, my parents weren't very happy with my choice, saying it was a waste, that I have no future taking photos as opposed to playing professionally."

There was more to it, she knew that he knew the real reason she quit but said no more. Under the moonlight, giving her an ethereal-like glow, the look of contentment on her beautiful face - he wanted to kiss her so bad.

“You must be really good at what you do.” He said instead, watching her thin fingers put the cap back on the lens before switching her camera off.

She shrugged, slinging her camera over her shoulder. “I’m nowhere near Jigou-jii-san’s level. But thanks for the compliment.” Looking at the fireflies again, her expression softened, watching them dance around.  “Let’s head back?”

“Yeah.”

Side by side, they walked down the path leading to their hotel, keeping a respectable distance.

“Oh, and you should apologize to Tanaka-chan.”

“Yes, yes.”

 

…

 

Arisa drew in a deep breath – inhale the cool, earthy fall air, exhale everything that is anything stressful in her life right now – emptying her lungs molecules of bad energy.

“That was a rather heavy sigh.” Beside her, her best friend noted.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Arisa frowned, shoulders sagged. “Now that we’re third-years, thinking about your future seems like a pretty tall order.”

“You say that like you haven’t gone through a year,” Segumi giggled good-naturedly.

“A stressful year, it has been.” Arisa quickly noted, picking at her ribbon. “I’d take hiking Mt. Izumigatake over this!”

Giggling again, Segumi’s eyes caught on the paper in her hand. “By the way Arisa, what did you write in your aspirations sheet?”

“Eh, the usual.” She held out her career sheet, her penmanship scruffy but readable.

Pushing her glasses back, Segumi studied her friend’s aspirations. “Hmm, photographer, photojournalist, and videographer – these all sound just like you!” Segumi pulled back with an encouraging smile. Arisa returned the smile, putting the paper away, feeling a small sense of pride swelling in her.

“What about you?”

Segumi laughed nervously, shyly hiding her face behind her paper. Just then, Hanamaki appeared from behind her, resting his chin on top of her head, reading what she wrote aloud. "Let's see environmental engineering, civil engineering, agricultural engineering– what the heck!?"

Segumi’s face burned, looking like she wanted to hide behind the paper. Arisa cringed, giving her friend a look.

“Eck, that’s way too much math and science for me. But nothing I wouldn’t expect from you since they’re your best subjects.”

“Oh? That’s also on Iwa-chan’s!” Oikawa says aloud, like a proud parent.

“Shut up, Shittykawa!” Iwaizumi roared at the brunet.

“Eh?” Segumi looked up in question, doe-eyes wide.

“Where do you plan to go, Tanaka?” Matsukawa asked, cutting the two off.

Suddenly on the hot seat, the bespectacled teen shyly scratches her cheek. “Um, this is embarrassing and a bit ambitious of me, but I’ve always wanted to study at the University of Tokyo or Tokyo Institute of Technology.”

“Wah, that’s also Iwa-chan’s dream school!” exclaimed the brunet. Not long after, he cries in pain as he receives a punch in the gut from his spikey-haired friend.

“Wow, that _is_ pretty ambitious of you,” Matsukawa says in surprise.

“I know.” Segumi agreed with a sigh, shoulders dropping, a tight smile on her lips. “I don’t even know if I can get in though.”

Hanamaki stares down at his childhood friend – she was one of the top students in her class, how dare she say that in his presence?! Even Iwaizumi was staring, not liking her tone. As was Arisa.

“Tanaka, you shouldn’t think so low of yourself. After all, you did well in your mock exams, didn’t you?” Iwaizumi berated, his voice gentle.

“I guess,” shrugged the brunette.

“Tanaka-chan, why do you want to get into engineering? You look to be the type who’d end up as a teacher or a pastry chef.” Oikawa queried curiously.

“Hehe, I get that a lot. But I was mostly influenced by my grandfather since he was an engineer and I was always fascinated by building structures. I also enjoy solving problems and I wanted to design things that matter.” Segumi explained, a faraway look in her eyes.

Matsukawa, Hanamaki, and Arisa comically stare at the girl in awe.

“Wow, she’s pretty solid about her ambition, making me feel so small.” Matsukawa blurted.

“No kidding,” says Arisa, hands in her pocket.

Beside him, the light-haired teen sniffles, walking up to engulf the brunette in a hug. “Gumi-chan, you’ve grown up so fast!”

“T-Takahiro-kun! You’ll ruin my hair!” exclaimed the brunette, cheeks flushing.

“And don’t you worry, even if you’ll go to Tokyo, I’ll be here waiting for you!”

“Oi, quit it, you’re making a scene.”

“Iwa-chan’s just jealous~ OW!”

“He totally deserved that,” Matsukawa muttered.

Breaking into a sigh, Arisa sought off to follow after the group when her phone rang. Upon seeing the name on the caller ID, a small frown marred her face before she broke into a laugh.

“Arisa?” called Segumi.

“Excuse me, I’ll take this call.” She says, turning on her heel.

Reaching the walkway – a good safe distance away, quiet too – she flipped open her phone, bringing it to her ear. “And here I thought you forgot all about me.”

“Ha! My favorite apprentice and goddaughter? Fat chance!” the voice – cheery and nasally – says on the other line, belonging to her godfather – Ibara Jigou. He was a rather busy man, working left and right for both a sports magazine and his freelance work.

“Nice to hear you haven’t killed yourself yet.” She teased, they share a laugh.

“By the way, saw your photo for last month’s issue – that was a good one there.” The sound of squeaks and crinkles emanated from the other line like he was reaching for something. “Wow, Tobio sure has grown.”

Pocketing her hands, Arisa leaned against the glass window. “So, what’s up? It’s weird having you call during class hours.” Her godfather was never one to beat around the bush, but he does enjoy talking a few moments to catch up.

“Ah, right. Well, I’ll get right to it, Arisa, are you currently writing down your ambitions for college?”

“Yes.”

“Have you considered studying abroad?”

She snorted. “Yeah, but it’s kind of a far-fetched dream.”

“Well, interested in getting into Columbia College?”

A slight pause, she wasn’t sure she heard him right. “Are you shitting me?”

“You hear me right, Columbia College.”

“ _The_ Columbia College?” She repeated. “The one you never got the chance to pursue?”

“Hey, don’t rub salt in it!” She wanted to laugh, but the information was just too much to take in. “Anyway, yeah. _That_ dream.”

Taking out her paper, Arisa studied her career choices one more time. All of her choices fell on art schools, specifically ones in the Kanto and Kansai regions.

“Arisa?”

“Um, can you give me some time?”

“This offer’s not going anywhere, but it is limited.” Her lips thinned, folding her paper away. “Just give me a ring, okay?”

Arisa hummed, pocketing her paper “Okay.” She says before clicking off.

 

…

 

Late at night, Arisa was scrolling through her gallery, to delete some photos to make room for more memory when she stopped on one particular photo – it was Oikawa.

He was sleeping, hair flying everywhere after their _activities_ , in her bed (since she was the only one _with_ a bed frame, he was embarrassed about that fact), the drapes barely covered his naked form, wispy light fell over his brown hair like a halo, making him look like a sleeping angel – he was so heartbreakingly beautiful.

She remembered exactly when the picture was taken, what they were doing prior and after.

Why she still had that photo, she didn’t know. But she could never find the heart to delete it either.

It was her favorite photo of him.

 

…

 

“Here you go.”

With their lunch stowed away, the bespectacled brunette eyed the plastic container questioningly. Soon though, Segumi’s eyes brightened upon opening the plastic container.

“You made cookies?” Segumi practically squealed.

Arisa nodded, resting her arms on the desk, watching her friend open the container excitedly. “Couldn’t sleep last night. Eat up, I made a lot.”

Upon hearing that, Segumi paused, giving her friend a disgruntled look. Arisa raised her hands in surrender.

“It’s been a while since you’ve baked,” Segumi says instead, her tone lightly reprimanding. The dark-haired girl merely shrugged. Segumi eyed Arisa carefully, trying to get a read out of her.

Instead, she asked, “How was dinner?”

Arisa picked on a grain of rice on Segumi’s desk, staring at it with strange fascination. “It was interesting. I never realized how old my family was until I saw my grandfather talk with the Ushijima matriarch.” Flicking her fingers, she watched the grain fly away. “Ushijima Wakatoshi made it worthwhile, sparing me from the dullness of it all.” Segumi hummed, munching on her cookie. Sighing, Arisa took out two plastic bags of cookies from her jacket. “But that’s not the reason.”

“Oh, cookies!” Oikawa and Hanamaki say at the same time, popping out of nowhere, having noticed the baked goods Segumi was eating.

 _They’re just like weeds,_ she thought to herself, _they just pop out of nowhere. And they’re almost like a package deal – there’s almost never one without the other three._

Leaning against her chair, Arisa lazily offered, “Want some?”

“Would I ever!” Oikawa and Hanamaki say at the same time.

The two teens practically grab one of the plastic bags before wolfing it down – ever the sweet-toothed lad they were, behind them, Iwaizumi said something about eating too much as Matsukawa took a piece.

“Wow, these are good,” Matsukawa says reaching for another.

“Ah, Arisa-chan’s cookies are the best!”

“Thanks. Eat up.”

“Aren’t you gonna take a bite?” Iwaizumi asks.

“Nah, I’ve had my share.” She waved off with her hand.

“Oh, you made this has marshmallows in them!” Segumi said with a squeal. “And there’s oatmeal!”

Iwaizumi takes a piece from the container Arisa gave Segumi. He took a bite, eyes widening. “These are really good, Yoshizawa.”

“I’d like to thank my insomnia for that.”

Although she said that jokingly, some people didn’t take her comment lightly. Oikawa, for one, had his cookie halfway into his mouth when he heard that. Swallowing down her cookie, Segumi frowned at her friend.

“Hehe, sorry.” She yawned mid-sentence – evidence of her late-night tendencies.

“It’s a miracle I don’t see any eyebags,” Matsukawa observed, her under-eyes were free of any wrinkles and beige, like her skin tone.

Tossing the last bit of cookie in his mouth, Hanamaki hinted out loud. “It’s probably makeup, amirite?”

Arisa laughed, rolling her eyes as she pushed Hanamaki’s face away. “Of course, _you’d_ know.”

The light-haired teen z-snaps then helps himself to another cookie _. He and Segumi were childhood friends alright_ , she thought, _they both had a severe case of sweet tooth._

Yawning, Arisa rested her face on her palm, half-listening to their conversation (because they were talking about volleyball, shocker) when she noticed _off_ between two certain people.

After having their fill (Hanamaki secretly stealing one of the two batches Arisa brought), the boys took off and chatted with another member of the volleyball team from Segumi’s class.

Arisa quickly went to it when the boys were out of earshot “Something happened between you and Hajime,” Segumi winced, pink dusting her cheeks. Arisa’s eyes narrowed at her best friend. “I know it.”

The brunette swallowed down hard. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“Oh really? Because from what I saw, Hajime was leaning towards you, has been stealing glances at you the whole time.”

Her suspicions rose, seeing how her friend accidentally turned to the said ace – who in turn, sensed her gaze, and gave her a smile. And not just any smile, he gave her a _boyish_ smile, a smile so rare from someone like him. Segumi whipped her head back, her cheeks lightly tinting.

Curiosity was at its peak now. Arisa leaned over and whispered, “Okay, what happened?” She could almost see the steam blow off her ears from how red her face has become.

Abruptly, Segumi stood from her seat – taking Arisa by surprise, then grabs her friend by the wrist, away from the room, and towards the girl’s room for some privacy. In her embarrassment (and guilt), she confessed in one go, in one breath.

“Wait, what?”

“Like I said,” the brunette said carefully “remember when I confessed to Iwaizumi-kun during our first year, but he forgot all about it? Turns out, he didn’t.” Arisa folded her arms but urged her friend to go on. “And then during our second year, he came up to me and said he remembered and gave his answer. I was too dumbfounded to reply back. A-And during the trip, he told me that he was still waiting for my answer.”

Leaning against the sink, Arisa tried to let the information sink in. “Was this when I snuck out? I’m still sorry about that, by the way.”

Segumi laughed, unable to stay mad at her friend.

In the end, Arisa didn’t get into trouble – as Oikawa helped her sneak in. But it did result in having Segumi’s glasses getting a crack. They had to get it changed when they returned to Miyagi. Other than that, she and the ace player felt closer than before. “Sometimes bad things lead up to something good.”

Pink dusted on the apples of her best friend’s cheeks still, her expression softening.

Segumi inhaled deeply and then sighed to calm herself, lifting her eyes to meet Arisa’s. “I’m sorry I haven’t told you about this…It’s just, I didn’t want to worry you knowing just how much is on your plate. Takahiro-kun doesn’t even know about this.”

Arisa gave her friend a half-smile. “I _am_ feeling slightly betrayed as your best friend, but knowing that I’m the first to know this other than your childhood friend makes up for it.”

Pushing herself off the sink, she walked up to the brunette, holding onto her elbows. “Although, I _do_ owe you a ton of explanation myself of the things you’ve probably been worrying about, you were kind enough to withhold from asking.” The two friends giggled, sharing a smile.

“Whenever you’re ready, Arisa.”

“Thanks, Segumi.”

 

…

 

On the rare days that Arisa wasn’t helping the girls practice, she was off working for the school newspaper. And it just so happened that on that particular day they had an urgent meeting.

Tossing her drink into the trash, Arisa flinched at a sudden vision that passed, followed by a sensation on her hand. Lifting her hand to her face, it almost felt familiar. Her eyes fell shut at the ring of a whistle, even though there was nothing.

Exhaling through her nose, Arisa dropped her hand and pocketed it in her jacket.

Just as she turned back to the clubroom, she caught familiar shade of black from the corner of her eye. She had to do a double take, her legs walking towards him.

“Tobi?” Grey-blue eyes widened at the sight of her cousin.

The said teen jumped at the sound of her voice. “N-Nee-san!”

She blinked, rapidly, in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”

“W-What are _you_ doing here!?” He repeated dumbly.

She blinked again, twice. “…I go to school here?” She said with a tilt of her head, giving him a good look from head to toe – he was in his training gear, wearing the shirt she bought him for his birthday. “No, but seriously, what _are_ you doing here? What about practice?” Torono was a long way from here, a good 50-minute bus ride followed by a 15-minute train ride.

He _never_ missed out on practice, which was concerning.

The young teen fumbled on spot, swallowing hard before replying. “I…I wanted to check how the team is doing, especially with the prefecture qualifiers coming up.”

She hummed. “Figures. So, what do you wanna know?”

Fumbling on the spot, the tall boy mumbled out. “Just…their plays, check if they have improved at all…It’s just something I really have to do.”

Arisa thought back to their loss, remembering the look in his eyes. Over summer break, she’s heard a great deal about Tobi’s growth from the teen himself or Sugawara. It must bother him so much that he had to come here.

“I could lend you a hand.”

“You will?”

“Sure, it’ll be just like old times, Tobi!” without waiting for his reply, she walks up behind him and pushes him forward.

“N-Nee-san!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep this a secret.” She winked at him, much to his relief. “Also, I couldn’t help lending you a hand, you seemed kind of stiff walking around like you were emanating a bad aura.” Tobio flinched, repeating her words in a whisper. Arisa giggled, picking up the pace.

Once they arrived, Arisa led her cousin to the other side of the building, a small quiet portion where nobody could see them. The two cousins kept their heads low, watching the practice unfold through a small window. Looking in, the gym Arisa noticed a different team – possibly from a different school, but upon closer inspection, she found a few alumni and deduced that they were college students. The teams were on a break and had decided that in the next match they were switching a few members. Oikawa was on the college team.

Throughout the duration of practice, the cousins watched in silence. There was no doubt that Oikawa fits in perfectly with the college team, that his skills were on point. He was as polished as ever.

Arisa curiously peeked at her cousin. She could read her cousin like a book, could see the admiration of his former senior, how it bothered him that he could never be like him. Sure, he was a genius setter, but he could never reach the ranks of Oikawa – who brought out the best of any player effortlessly. Arisa reached out, about to say something, before she saw a spark in his eyes.

“Oikawa-san really is amazing…”

A smile crept across her face, reaching out to ruffle his hair instead. Tobio really looks up to Oikawa, aspires to be like him. Even prodigies are full of holes.

“Let’s head back,” she announces, just before the final whistle blew. “I’ll walk you to the stop.”

On the way back, they stopped by the vending machines where Arisa bought him a bottle of yogurt milk. It really felt like old times.

“Nee-san, thank you for coming with me. And I’m sorry for taking up some of your time.”

The teen waved it off, burying her hands in her pockets. “It’s okay, it was worth it. It’s not every day I see you come over Aoba-ku, even though it’s for volleyball and not to see me.”

“T-That’s not true!”

She barked out a laugh. “I’m just playing with you!”

When they reached the bus stop, the cousins talked a bit more. Tobio was quick to fill him on his academics, that he was doing well, and of a cat that hissed at him before he could even touch it.

From a distance, she could see his bus coming. Tobio turns to her and wordlessly wraps his arms around her, Arisa sighs, returning his hug.

As the doors open, the two pull apart. “Tobi? Always remember: volleyball is all about teamwork, you win as a team. Also, you play with everything you’ve got.”

He nods at that, before walking inside the bus.

 

…

 

 

It was days before the qualifiers match and practice has become quite extreme with the girls playing against the boys. Although she wanted no part in it, apparently, both teams wanted her to play.

What makes Aoba Johsai a high-caliber team was not just the players, but the coaches. And although young for her age, Etsuko Yoshizawa showed promise. In the past few years, she’s whipped the girls to shape with her amazon-like training, and strategy. At least every year, there _must_ be a match against the boys’ team. For where girls’ volleyball lacked, they had to make up for from them. It was one of the reasons why both teams remained to dominate Inter-High and Spring High. They were part of the top four.

And with that in mind, it was one of the reasons why Arisa lent a hand with their practices.

It was always a strange feeling going back to volleyball, like she was gearing herself for a war she was never a part of, like one of those heroes in Young Adult novels.

She remembered her first time playing volleyball, a lifetime ago.

Being on court felt like bearing on a new persona, everything just felt like it was in slow motion, the satisfaction of striking the ball in was all it took. And yet, she just wasn’t into it anymore.

But right now, she could settle for it – seeing the smiles on the team’s face, from the people she’s bonded with, the passion burning in their eyes after hours of practice, sweat slipping down their faces, the strain of her muscles – she could say that it was worth it.

After all, this was her last time playing with them, the very last time she’ll ever play.

Which is why she couldn’t say no to their request of having her play with them against the boys.

“You better not go easy on me,” she joked to Oikawa directly.

Oikawa visibly flinched at her declaration. Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes warily at the two. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were hooting in the background. Segumi blinked in surprise.

Something flashed in his eyes, a smirk crossing his face. “You wish.”

At the flip of a coin, the girls were to serve, Arisa being the first server.

Right off the bat, she went for a jump float, catching the boys’ team off-guard and earning a point for the girl’s. Inwardly pleased with the annoyed look on Oikawa’s face – he never did like jump floats.

“Sorry, I was going easy on you.”

At her next serve, Arisa stared off at the opposite court at the boys’ team, taking slow breaths while feeling the ball against her palm. When the whistle came, she threw the ball in the air, ran for it, before hitting it with all her might.

Watari, was quick to catch it, wincing slightly at the power behind it.

“Uwah, that’s a lot of power,” a freshman from the girl’s team says, watching the ball sail through the air.

And with that, their play almost felt like war breaking out.

 

…

 

It had been a tough first set with the girls winning 24-26.

Both teams displayed fruits of their labor from hours of training, each improving their skill and play, but in the end, paved way for the girls’.

“Don’t get too cocky now,” says Coach Yoshizawa to the team, keeping her voice stern (Arisa and Kasumi on the side in case something happened). “You barely got through halfway the game with errant offenses, enough to miss Kyoutani.” At the mention of the second-year wing spiker, everyone groaned. “Also, stop depending on the seniors to clean up for your mistakes!” At this, the underclassmen – particularly the first years – winced. “It’s second set now, what’re you gonna do?”

“Obviously, the guys are way different from us in terms of height and strength, but we can play that to our advantage.” Arisa was quick to tell them, holding the ends of the towel slung around her neck. “We strengthen our offense; keep a close eye on the front lines as they usually do quicks and unannounced plays, shifting their roles time to time.”

“Might I suggest that we do the same for defense, especially during serves?” Segumi added, putting her glasses back on. “Hinagiku-chan’s our strongest receiver, being a libero and all, but if you think you can, receive. Also, remember to take a little time jumping on blocks to perfectly time it with the boys’.”

“Spoken like a true captain!” cheered Kaede.

Coach Yoshizawa smiled, rubbing her belly before hearing the whistle. “Alright you little shits, get back in there!”

“Segumi, nice serve!” The brunette captain took deep breaths, pressing her forehead against the ball, waiting for the whistle.

When it did, the brunette tossed the ball in the air, made her run, jumped, and hit it with everything she’s got – enough to send the ball flying across the court, toppling off when it touched the net.

Fortunately, Watari was quick enough to catch it before it even touched the ground.

The girls all braced themselves, getting into position as the ball was tossed. Kindaichi ran for the ball, ready to spike it in but was stopped by Segumi.

Arisa smiled, proud of her best friend. For a 173-cm middle blocker, she sure got the job done, enough to beat the boys’ tallest member.

“Nice block, captain!” says Tsukasa.

Within the first few minutes, the girls continued to score points before they were cut off by the boys. The game progressed on, both teams trying to oust the other.

Seeing Kyoutani run for the spike, Segumi and Arisa crouched, waiting, jumping the same time he did, enough to touch the ball.

“One touch!” they shouted.

"Tanaka-senpai and Yoshizawa-senpai are quite the pair, aren't they?" says Kasumi.

Coach Yoshizawa snorts. “Maybe so, they were rivals in middle school.” Watching Arisa toss to Segumi, making a straight into the opposite court. “But I guess even rivals can become the best of friends.”

The score was now 15-13, the girls finally making a break.

The next server was called up.

For Arisa’s next serve, the boys were extra wary – her serves were as deadly as their captain’s and they were unpredictable, it was one of her trademarks during middle school. A split second after the whistle blew was all it took before Arisa’s serve went sailing across the court, catching the boys off-guard.

The infamous ‘killer smile’ made its way to Arisa’s face as the girls cheered. Coach Yoshizawa had to yell at her girls (via a megaphone) to get their head in the game, and to Arisa to stop acting so smug about it.

Settling back in her seat, the older woman watched the game, keeping her eye particularly on her young cousin. It seems like she was giving her all. Coach Yoshizawa rubbed her belly in thought, and the reason may be because it was her last practice with the team.

 

…

 

Now on their fifth and final set, both teams were focused as the girls were a point away from a double-digit score. The second set was a hard one, a comeback for the boys and a tough one for the girls. As Coach Yoshizawa told them time and time again, they shouldn’t let their guard down.

It Oikawa’s serve, Arisa could tell something was different – his aura was different, so was his stance. He tossed the ball in the air with practiced ease, patiently waiting for the whistle. Something was definitely off about him.

As the whistle came, the ball was tossed into the air, his body moving forward, gaining momentum before launching into the air. His hang swung and connected harshly with the round surface, like he was hitting it with all his might seeing as he let all the air escape from his lungs, and watched it sail across the court right into the back corner.

Arisa’s body reacted immediately, she felt like everything was in slow motion before receiving the ball into her forearms.

“Cover!” yelled Coach Yoshizawa.

She didn’t know how she did that, but she did. Licking her lips, she watched as Kaede tossed the ball back, which was quickly received by Watari.

A rally soon ensued, putting everyone on edge, the tension could be felt from the reserves – it seemed to go on forever, with both teams refusing to back down.

In an attempt to throw girls off, Oikawa went for a dump. But Arisa saw it coming. Despite being in the back row, she practically threw herself in, saving the ball in time as her face planted to the ground. The ball bounced off to the other side, earning the girls a point.

A timeout was called immediately.

“Arisa!” Segumi cried, running up to help her friend up, the rest of the team following.

A bit dazed, she held onto her friend for support as blood dripped down her nose. “Hey, we got a point!”

“Really, be more careful!” Segumi scolded, voice raised in worry.

“S-Senpai, your nose!”

“Hehe, sorry.” She chuckled, pinching her nose while tipping her head forward.

“What the hell, Arisa!?” Oikawa yelled, enough for the whole gym to hear. Both she and Segumi flinched at that, meeting his hardened gaze. Heck, everyone was looking at them!

Without a word, he marched towards them, picked Arisa from the ground, called for Yahaba to sub him, and announced to both coaches that he’ll bring her to the clinic.

“H-Hey wait! O-Oikawa-san, put me down!”

“Shut up and stop moving.”

Oikawa walked with urgency, taking long strides towards the clinic with Arisa in his arms. Arisa, who was bleeding profusely through her nose, as she tipped her head forward, hands pinching her bleeding nose.

At the clinic, Arisa was quickly attended to. After her she was examined – nothing too serious, the nurse handed an ice pack to Arisa. “Hold this until the bleeding stops, okay?”

“Thank you, sensei.”

Smiling, the middle-aged woman walks over to her desk. “Now if you’ll excuse me, this old lady’s going to take a nap.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to lie down?” Arisa asked.

“I’ll be fine, dear.” The woman assured, taking a small pillow from her desk. Leaning forward, she rests her head on her folded arms and snores away instantly.

Arisa laughed softly, she liked the school nurse – always so warm and welcoming, no matter how reckless the students were.

Eyes glanced around the room, noting how peaceful it was – save for the flapping of paper stashed by an open window. Making sure to breathe through her mouth, she almost forgot the brunet sitting next to her.

“I didn’t know you still cared.”

He scoffed as if offended. “Don’t be stupid, of course, I do. After all these years.” Oikawa’s fine features darkening as a memory rushed through his head.

 

**Four years ago…**

 

_Kitagawa Daiichi Girls were currently at set point, everyone was one edge. The tension could be felt even from the stands as the ball flew from court to court, the rally going on for almost a while._

_In an attempt to throw the team off, the setter throws a dump. However, even from the back row, Arisa saw it coming, and goes for a dive, landing face first on the ground. After saving the ball, she quickly picks herself up and spikes the ball in, winning the match with a bloody nose._

_It was only after the match did they notice blood dripping down her nose._

_“Arisa-san!” “Yoshizawa-senpai!” “Arisa-senpai!” came the worried cries from her team._

_Two figures wearing the same colors marched up towards the team – particularly at the dark-haired girl before anyone (say a spiky-haired lad) could stop them._

_“Don’t do that again!” the two setters said in unison, making Arisa jump._

_“S-Sorry…” she replied, still holding her nose. The corners of her mouth pulled into a huge grin, unable to shake away the fact that they won – to semi-finals they go!_

_Though angry, Oikawa grabbed her hand and lead her away towards the clinic._

_“Be more careful, okay? No point is worth your being.”_

_She tilted her head, eyebrow raised incredulously. “Really? Coming from you?”_

_“I’m being serious here, Arisa.”_

_She broke a sigh. “Yes, yes.”_

_“Nee-san, please listen to Oikawa-san.” Tobi appears beside her, worry written all over his adorable face._

_She had to laugh, heart warming from the care of two important boys in her life._

 

…

 

Beside her, Oikawa was muttering things under his breath – of how reckless she can be, even after all these years. Something inside tugged, seeing how much he still cared.

“You know, you don’t have to care for me anymore. Since we’re broken up.” Even as she said that she couldn’t deny the part of her that worried about him, how he had the tendency to overwork himself.

“Old habits die hard,” Oikawa says, the same time she thought of it.

Silence filled in between the two, the only noise were the nurse’s soft snores, the flapping of paper, and Arisa’s breathing through her mouth.

“What was up with that serve?” she asked, unable to help herself. Her voice was barely a whisper, but Oikawa heard it. Grey-blue eyes looked at him accusingly, saw the way he tucked his chin. “You just never listen, do you?”

Hinagiku barely had time to react then, too overwhelmed. Arisa was quick to cover for her, wincing at its power. There was sure to be a bruise on her forearm.

“I’m surprised you caught it,” Oikawa smirked.

“That’s beside the point, To-” Before she could finish, her breath hitched, realizing what she was about to say. “T-That’s beside the point.” She repeated a futile cover-up.

Oikawa looked up at her, brown eyes softening ever so slightly. “Has your nose stopped bleeding?”

Pulling the ice pack away, the bleeding stopped indeed. A small scar remained on the bridge of her nose though, probably from the fall. Nothing a band-aid couldn’t fix.

“I look kinda badass,” Arisa remarked at her reflection in the mirror, Oikawa frowned at her.

“Let’s just go,” he says, gently sliding the door open.

“You’re right. Also, I have to say goodbye to the girls.” Arisa says as they walk side by side back to the gym. Oikawa didn’t miss the slight hitch in her tone.

When the gymnasium building came to view, both knew that the match was sure to be over. And if she guessed right, the boys won again. Not that she was being mean or anything, but boys just excelled in terms of power and play. That's just how it was sometimes. But it sure didn't mean that Segumi's team was bad either.

“You played well, Arisa,” Oikawa commented, meaning it, shaking her of her thoughts.

Surprised by the compliment, she worked on a tight smile. “Ah, yeah.”

“Do you have an extra shirt?” he asked, regarding her blood-stained shirt she was currently wearing.

“Yeah,” she answered, her mind elsewhere.

Reaching the gymnasium building, Oikawa noticed how Arisa didn’t enter immediately. She just stood there, like she was composing herself as if she were in a match.

“I’m going to miss seeing you play,” he confesses, causing a small laugh to escape her mouth. “I’m serious.”

“I know you are.” She sighed, squaring her shoulders. “I’m just honestly glad it’s over.”

Without another word, she pushed the door open and the two enter. As expected, both teams were cleaning up – the net was down, the balls were put away, the floor polished. As Arisa walked towards the girls she wasn't expecting to see all of them scramble in line for her, with smiles on their faces, some looked like they were about to cry.

“W-What’s going on…?” she turns to her cousin in confusion, but she just stares back with a motherly expression on her face that was rare to find when she was in her tracksuit.

Wordlessly, Kaede and Segumi hand out a jersey jacket to her. “The team thanks you for your effort, Yoshizawa Arisa. Though you’re not officially part of the team, you are in our hearts.”

Taking the jacket from their hands, Arisa eyed the familiar white and cyan jersey in disbelief and awe.

"Everyone, bow!" Segumi, her eyes glossing through the lenses, shouted. "Thank you very much!"

“Thank you very much!” the team echoed, bowing to Arisa.

The act tugged at Arisa’s heart, she hugged the jacket to her chest, fighting the urge to cry. A flash caught her off-guard, and when she turned her head, she found Kasumi holding her camera.

Oikawa, who was watching from the side with the rest of the team, watched the event unfold. It dawned on him: it really was the last time he’ll see her play. He sure was going to miss seeing her play, the easy grin on her face that radiated too much.

As she donned on the jacket, as requested by the team, conviction burned within him – they were going to win. They had to.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um, wow. 10k words, excluding this long ass note. Truth be told, this was an extremely frustrating chapter to write because 1) although I had outlined everything, I COMPLETELY forgot that the match between Karasuno and Shiratorizawa happened a day after Aoba Johsai’s defeat, NOT months from now. You wouldn’t believe how frustrated I was when I checked IN THE MIDDLE OF WRITING THE SUPPOSED CHAPTER GDI. UGH, I’M JUST SO FRUSTRATED. 2) I did a lot of research, okay? The whole school trip, the dates of the match, just to get things right. So I’m incredibly saddened by what happened. That’s about it. Really, I’m annoyed at how I missed this little mix-up. 3) I’m trying to look at the bright side of this mix-up, because that’ll mean that the next chapter (which is the last one, by the way, brace yourselves) will be kind of heavy.  
> Also, bet you weren’t expecting Ushijima to be _that_ son? Or if you did, congrats. It’s been a delight writing him, he’s such a delightful/dorkable character. Yeah, too cliché, but it’s always fun to have Oikawa riled up.  
>  Also, writing the match was sort of an experience. I've been watching women's volleyball (GO TEAM PHILIPPINES!) as of late for some reference and ideas (yeah, I KNOW). If Arisa seems too polished/perfect, I apologize.  
> Also, I HAD to put that little snippit about Iwaizumi x OC(Segumi). Idk, at one point, you get tired of having the focus on the mains that you need to shed light on the side-characters. (I’ve thought of making a one-shot with the two, but seems kind of farfetched. Let me guys know what you think about this!)  
> DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING BUT THE PLOT.


	11. x

**[x]**

_Twirling the ball in his hand, his eyes stared at the white, green, and red ball in awe of how perfectly it fit his hand. Taking a deep breath, he threw his head back and mentally counted to three. Lifting his head back up, his gaze drifted to the net._

_Tossing the ball in the air, body moving forward, gaining momentum before jumping. His hand swung and connected with the ball, harshly, enough to send the ball flying to the other side of the court._

_"You've improved a lot," commented a familiar voice._

_Sporting a smile on his face, he turned to the dark-haired teen, who was all smiles like him but had a look of pride in those grey-blue eyes. Something inside him swelled at being at the receiving end of that look._

_"Nee-san!"_

_Immediately, he ran up to her. Arisa laughed and threw her arms around him, feeling him stiffen in her hold, eventually, he relaxed._

_Breaking away from their hug, he was quick to ask. "How long are you staying this time?"_

_"Just for a few days," she replied, walking towards the cart. "You start high school next week, right?"_

_"Ah, yes!"_

_"That's good," She then sighed heavily, taking a ball from the cart, he noticed. "Is something wrong, nee-san?"_

_"Oh, no. It's just…" Balancing the ball on her finger, she spun at it. "It just seems like yesterday when you asked me to teach you volleyball for the first time. You were six then." She watched the whirl of colors in fascination. "And here we are, ten years later – you're about to start high school just as I am to end mine." Arisa had stopped spinning the ball and hugged it. "Time sure flies, huh?"_

_He wasn't sure how to respond to that. All he could say in turn was: "It sure has."_

_She nods at that, looking at the net as though she was wondering what the view looked like from the other side. "Tobi,"_

_"Yes?"_

_Looking over her shoulder, toothily he called out: "Promise me you'll make some friends?"_

_He stiffened visibly, cheeks and ears burning as he looked away. Not wanting to disappoint her, he murmured lowly, "I-I'll try…"_

_She chuckled at his awkwardness._

_"That's good enough for me."_

 

…

 

"Nee-san, what happened to your nose!?" was the first thing Tobio said when they met at Sendai City Gym for the qualifiers match.

"Hi Tobi, congrats on making it this far," Arisa answers instead, a bit too casually.

"Nee-san!" Tobio says in frustration, rushing over to her, taking note of the scar on her nose. It was barely noticeable – Arisa hadn't bothered to cover it with concealer - but Tobio has always been extra wary of his cousin's welfare (as she is of his, but not as great as hers).

"Yoshizawa-san!" Hinata cried, appearing right next to her cousin. The two were a package, it seemed, one was never without the other.

Chuckling, she then explained that it was nothing more than an injury from a practice match two days ago. And wow, had it been that long? Although it had healed, there was still a scar on her nose.

"You have to be more careful, nee-san." Her cousin says worriedly, eyeing her nose.

Unconsciously, she rubbed her arm, just where there was a small bruise from receiving Oikawa's serve. Thankfully, she had it covered up with her uniform and jacket.

"I could say the same to you," she replied, touched by her cousin's concern. "No worries, it's just a scratch, it'll heal." Wordlessly, the younger teen relaxes and nods. Turning to his partner, who had been strangely quiet as the cousins interacted, she gave a grateful smile.

"By the way, where's the rest of your team?"

At that, the two flinched. A sigh left her mouth, almost laughingly. They were such simple-minded energetic little things.

Not soon later, the rest of the team come to view, exchanging pleasantries with Arisa, while Sawamura told off the two first-years for running off.

 

…

 

Having done her pre-game routines, Arisa stretched out her limbs overhead. The buzz from the crowd at the Sendai City gymnasium was overwhelming as it was volleyball season. It was also a blur of colors from different schools – a flock of tall athletes proudly bearing the colors of their school, with fires burning in their eyes for the taste of victory.

Keeping her head low, Arisa easily sailed through the crowd whilst minding her own business. Also, it was a sort of routine she picked up after three years.

Finding herself in a clear hallway, she heaved a sigh and bunched up her dark hair. Taking a few portions of her hair, she tied up into a messy half-bun – her hair tends to get in the way whenever she's working. Taking out her phone, she inspected her reflection using the black screen. Satisfied, she put away her phone and squared her shoulders.

Just when she decided to head to the stands, as the first matches were about to begin, she noticed a familiar brunette. "Oh? Misaki!"

The brunette, wearing a yellow tracksuit, turned and smiled at her. "Arisa! Long time no see!"

"I could say the same to you," she laughed, adjusting the camera strap over her shoulder. "How have you been?"

The brunette sighed exasperatedly, shoulders sagging. "Per the norm, the team's stressing me out."

Arisa offered a sympathetic smile. "Must be hard, being the only third year."

"You have no idea." She said tiredly. "They're all just a bunch of energy I can't control. I mean, they mean well, but they just get too excited and riled up, you know?"

The dark-haired teen simply nods, thanking the high heavens she turned down the managerial position all those years ago. Had she accepted that offer and she would've ended up like Misaki over here (including the obvious factors of her stress).

"Speaking of rowdy bunches, they're not with you right now, are they?" Arisa cautiously looked over the brunette's shoulder.

Misaki laughs at the gesture but assures her with a shake of her head, her curls bouncing. "Nope," Arisa sighed in relief. "they've run off to god knows where. But what about you? How are you doing?"

"So-so." Arisa replied nonchalantly, scratching her nose. "I mean, same old boring me, I guess."

"Like I'd believe that," Misaki harrumphed, eyes rolling as she crossed her arms over her chest.

The two teens share a laugh, chatting for a while until Misaki had to excuse herself, being the club manager and all. Arisa had to leave as well, remembering her schedule: Karasuno's first match was about to start, followed by Aoba Johsai Girls' match, and then the boys' match – it was a busy day for her.

Misaki rushed out down the hall, fumbling in her pace. Arisa felt sorry for her, thanking again the high heavens for turning down the managerial offer.

Okay, she really had to go now.

A lot of things filled her mind as she walked, her eyes glued to the ground.

Walking up the stairs, she suddenly remembered something and took out her phone. Flipping it open, she quickly dialed a number. The person – Ichiro, Etsuko's husband and Arisa's cousin - on the other side was quick to answer, much to Arisa's relief. After quickly updating him on his wife's condition, the man sighed but said that he'll still be there any minute. Her cousin was now over 7-months, her belly very much evident. Many were worried about her condition, but her cousin-in-law was stubborn. No doubt, their child would take after her.  _Oh boy._

Reaching the last step, Arisa tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, as she just had ended the call, when she felt a presence.

"Oh? It's you again!" At the sound of his voice, visibly, she winced. She shouldn't have left her guard down!

Something just had to squeeze in her schedule, some just  _had to happen_ every year: she had to bump into the person she was dreaded to see – Terushima Yuuji.

Since last year, the blonde-dyed teen was all over her, even when she was still with Oikawa. And since news spread fast that the two had broken up, seeing the look in his eyes, Terushima was more enthusiastic than ever to talk to her.

"Excuse me, I have to- " Before she could get away, Terushima stepped in front of her, blocking her way.

"Come on, let's talk a little. You always run off whenever I'm trying to talk to you."

Sighing, Arisa plastered an indifferent look on her face, crossing her arms over her chest. "Excuse me, but I don't have any time to spare. I'm a rather busy person."

The corners of Terushima's lips curl, eyes glinting mischievously. "Ah, you've got a stern face as always. Wouldn't do well to a pretty face like yours."

Arisa's eyes narrow, lips pressing together. She didn't want to say anymore, not wanting to stir up anything that may lead to disqualification of both teams. She shouldn't have said anything at all.

"Now, Yoshizawa Arisa, was it?"

"Shouldn't you be heading to your first match?" she replied, keeping her tone clipped and neutral.

"Eh, what's a few minutes." He shrugged offhandedly.

"That's pretty irresponsible, being the captain and all." She should really stop talking.

Terushima smirked at the mention of 'captain', leveling his face down to hers. "Eh? So, you heard?"

"I'm a journalist, I'm supposed to know things." She fought to keep a straight face, digging her fingers into the fabric of her uniform in high hopes he wouldn't notice, she should really stop.

The tall teen whistled lowly, smiling toothily at her. "That's pretty hot."

She didn't like the way he was looking at her, neither did she like his presence. She should've really kept her mouth shut, then she wouldn't be in this situation!

Before another word was spoken, Arisa was pulled away and found herself in the arms of Oikawa, Iwaizumi stood next to him.

Not a word was spoken, but she could feel the tension emitting off the brunet. Seeing the looks in their eyes (especially from Oikawa), the cropped-haired teen raised his hands in surrender as he backed away, snickering to himself for being bested. "Hey now, we're all friends here. I'll see myself out." Before leaving, he gave Arisa one last smile and then walked away.

Immediately, Oikawa brought Arisa to the gymnasium, with Iwaizumi behind them who had asked if she was alright. Arisa released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding and nodded, putting a hand on her camera and the other to her chest.

"Thank you," she says under her breath. Wordlessly she parts from them and towards the Karasuno stands, Oikawa could only watch her walk away.

 

…

 

In the midst of all the excitement, her cousin, who was about to jump for a block, ended up receiving the ball with his face that resulted into a nosebleed. Immediately, her instincts kicked in.

Seeing Tobio's nose drip blood, she wasted no time and rushed from her spot, bypassing anyone in her way. She managed to see her cousin, Yamaguchi, and the manager-in-training, Yachi, as they walked out the court.

The three were shocked at the sight of her disheveled state, but Arisa's attention was on her cousin.

Tobio had to hold his cousin's hand to assure her that he was okay, Arisa felt slightly better, offering a feeble smile. Together, they walked into the clinic.

Knowing that was only a minor injury, Arisa suggested she wait outside while her cousin was being taken care of, offering a playful ruffle to his hair before she went out.

Once she was by her lonesome, Arisa let out a shuddering breath, clenching and unclenching her hands. Resting her back against the wall, her eyes fell shut as the dark-haired teen collected her thoughts.

A mirthless laugh left her mouth at the realization that she was probably overreacting. Accidents happen all the time in sports, so long as you've got a clear head, then you'll be able to steer away from major injuries. She knew that, having been an athlete once.

The moment she saw Tobio hurt, however, her instincts kicked in, opening a can of worms in the process.

She ran a hand through her hair, stopping when she realized she had tied it. Reaching back, she untied her bun, letting messy strands to fall loose. Arisa didn't bother to fix herself, instead, she dropped her head, her hair cascading down her face like a curtain.

Once the fog cleared in her head, it was then that she heard footsteps walking her way, opening her eyes, she found a familiar pair of black and blue trainers.

She groaned. "Excuse me-"

Slamming his hand next to her head, causing her to jump, he caged Arisa in. His tall frame loomed over her, reminding Arisa of how tall he was and how he could be a master of deception at the same time.

"Let me go." She says.

He says nothing, watching Arisa intently instead.

"You're trembling." He notes, resting his forearm above her, his free hand brushing strands of hair away from her face, tucking them behind her ear and trailing his fingers down her face, her neck and collarbone - his touch was light, lingering, tantalizing, burning.

"And you're an asshole," she retorts, hating how she let him touch her like that. She was better than that! "Shouldn't you be preparing? Your next match is coming up."

Oikawa (together with Iwaizumi) was seated on the opposite end of the stands, he must've seen her and followed after her, she thought.

The corner of his mouth curl, eyes dancing with mischief. "Oh? Why the rush?"

"No reason," she swallowed thickly.

"Don't I get a 'thank you' for earlier?"

Her lips thinned. "I did."

"Well, maybe I just didn't hear you." And then his eyes softened, lifting a hand again to tuck strands of hair behind her ear, fingers lingering on her piercings. She didn't mean to, but when she looked up, she met with those heartbreakingly gorgeous brown eyes of his – his eyes reminded her of the way how colors melt into golden rays, circling an eclipse, and how in later hours, they turn into sunsets.

"Hey, let's make another bet…" He said cheekily, the soft look quickly melting away. "If I win, I get to have you for a day."

She sighed, hiding her disappointment. "And if  _I_ win?"

He shrugged lazily, leaning dangerously close. "Whatever you want."

Chewing on her lower lip, she gave it a thought–. Exhaling, she nods. "Fine. Deal."

And she was stupid enough to go with it.

Oikawa smiled. "Excellent, and now to seal the deal."

She didn't know what he was about to do before it was too late, his mouth slanted over hers with the familiar softness and warmth. It was over before she knew it. And when they parted, the door beside them had opened, revealing Yachi and Tobio, both shell-shocked at what they had just witnessed.

Arisa's eyes widened, quickly turning away to hide her beet red face. Oikawa chuckled, giving Arisa a quick kiss on her nose before walking off.

"Bye Arisa-chan, Tobio-chan~"

Yachi was rendered speechless by what she had just witnessed.

Recovering, Arisa ran up to the young teen. "Please don't tell anyone what you saw."

The blonde was quick to nod. Her companion, on the other hand…

A frown remained on her cousin's face – there was so much going on in that head of his, a dark feeling bubbling inside him as his thoughts darkened – she felt a twinge of guilt at that.

Taking his hand in hers, she gave it a gentle squeeze – a promise. Seeing the look on her face and Tobio realized just how much his cousin had on her plate. Sure enough, his expression softened. Slowly, her lips lifted into a grateful smile.

 

…

 

Karasuno eventually won against Johzenji.

As she was covering the Aoba Johsai's match against Date Tech, she later learned that though it was a tough game without their captain, Karasuno had won against Wakutani South.

She should be happy, she really should.

Yet, at the same time…she felt like she was at a standstill.

As soon as she saw Oikawa's set to Iwaizumi, she already knew the game's outcome. With a click of her camera, Aoba Johsai ace shot through the blocker, earning their victory, and she got the shots she wanted.

Sighing, she puts her camera down, massaging at her shoulders. A 55-200mm lens was no joke.

The boys' team rejoiced, as evident with the way the third years ruffled with Iwaizumi's hair, Oikawa merely watched the three.

Shortly after their win, Arisa walked out of the gym, wanting to escape the fanfare for a while. Seeing as she had time until the next game, she wandered off, finding solace at the gardens.

Sitting in the benches, she stared at the gymnasium for a few seconds then went to fix her hair, which she later figured she'd leave it as is – untied and flowing over her shoulders.

Absentmindedly, she picked her camera and checked the battery meter – it was still full, checked if she still had memory – yes, she did re-check her settings even though nobody had borrowed it this week – the little things really, to keep her mind off things.

Problem was, she couldn't find herself to calm down. She seemed out of it today.

"I thought I might find you here," came a familiar voice.

Arisa paused at wiping her lenses, which she's been doing for a while now. Putting her equipment away, she looked up at her bespectacled friend, eyes meeting the brace on her right shoulder. Noticing her gaze, the brunette offered a weak smile.

"Congrats on your win," it was the second time she said it, but saying it now with a bit of irony made Segumi wince.

"I didn't think I could pull it off." The brunette sheepishly rubbed her arm.

"At the risk of your shoulders."

Breaking into a sigh, Segumi looked down at Arisa with wide, apologetic, doe-eyes. "Arisa please, I've already been scolded enough."

Hearing that statement was enough to make Arisa smirk. "Good, you need more, especially from me." Looking back, that would explain the extra practice. Segumi had been practicing since Inter-High, working on her offense she took after her best friend. Honestly, she appreciated the effort knowing just how much time they spent playing during practice, it was like Segumi's way of showing her appreciation. "But seriously, congrats on making it to finals."

Walking up to the dark-haired teen, Segumi noticed the troubled look on her face. "Are you worried, Arisa?"

Arisa ducked her head, hands balling into fists to stop them from shaking. "Is it that obvious?"

Segumi nodded. "I could tell from the moment we left for Sendai."

Arisa swore under her breath – she was really out of it today.

Minutes before the match, Arisa was on edge – it was the same feeling of when she was watching Aoba Johsai versus Shiratorizawa, except this time, it's worst and the stakes are even higher. Her stomach felt cold, empty, she felt uneasy the moment she set foot at the Sendai City Gymnasium. She just didn't know what to feel at the moment.

"I'm sorry, but could you leave me alone for a second? I just…I'll come in when I'm ready."

Although worried for her, Segumi nodded and left.

Once her friend left, Arisa let out a shuddering breath. Leaning her elbows on her thighs, she buried her face in them, letting out another shuddering breath.

Pulling her hands down to her mouth, she stared miserably at the grass. Honestly, she doesn't know what to feel at the moment, her brain and her heart were in turmoil.

And now here she was, watching the rematch she honestly dreaded to watch.

Arisa was trying to decide whether she could handle watching the match, skip her duty, or just leave. Leaving wasn't an option, she realized, that made her a coward. But staying  _and_  watching would only make it worse. Worse than watching Oikawa and Tobi fight over a ball before Oikawa let go, allowing the younger teen to fall back. She felt a vein tick at this, the match hadn't even started yet!

Coincidentally, when she was looking for a spot, she happened upon Yachi, together with an older female version of Tanaka - whom she later realized was his older sister, Saeko, and two other gentlemen – Yusuke Takinoue and Makoto Shimada. Yachi was the one who introduced her to the three alumni of Karasuno/supporters. After introductions were made – both Takinoue and Shimada surprised to find out that she, 'The Girl with a Killer Smile', was related to Kageyama – Arisa quickly took out her camera, securing her hold when she realized she was trembling.

Once the whistle blew, Arisa swallowed down hard, a chill running down her spine, seeing the teams on court line up.

Quick to slip on her duties, she clicked away when the teams were starting off neck and neck. The tension was so great she could feel it from where she stood, one of the guys next to her put her thoughts into words.

Seeing her cousin play made her heart swell with pride, he definitely stood out amongst his teammates, but this paled to pulling off some plays that earned them points. Watching the ball fall over the net, Tobio jumped for it, pushing the ball back with one hand, for Tanaka to spike it in. Beside her, Saeko was brimming with pride for her little brother, evident by her calling out on him.

She could feel the heat of the game radiating off from both teams, enough to bring life to the whole stadium. As the games played on, more and more people were drawn in – awed by the superb play between the two teams.

The second that Hinata was able to deliver a spike in – a new and improved quick that he and his cousin worked on – a sense of pride swelled within her again. That was their declaration of war, them saying that they were back and that they would come back victorious.

 

…

 

Arisa had never felt so cold, like her heart was on an ice paralysis. It was enough to make her faint but here she was, standing still.

The more plays made, the slower the day felt – every second dragged on to a still.

Her heart hurt so much from all the tension, her mind was in haywire – unsure just what to feel with every play. She was proud to see Yamaguchi serve his jump float perfectly (having given him a few notes before), proud to see Kyoutani play with the team, proud to see Yahaba step up (as he was a captain candidate, according to Iwaizumi), proud to see Sugawara pull off some tricks, proud to see either team make a break, proud to see both teams play with their all, proud even to see just how much of a sadist Oikawa was to bring out the best of his team mates, even Kyoutani.

But at the same time, her heart ached with every score from either side.

By the third set, it was do or die.

Never has she felt more divided.

Her eyes flew from court to court, from black and orange to white and cyan.

Seeing Oikawa make a serve, she noted the same aura she felt two days ago, during her last practice match. It produced a great sound like a cannon went off. It caught everyone off-guard.

Luckily, on Oikawa’s second serve, Karasuno made a comeback.

Her heart tightened on Sugawara's serve, feeling her lungs run out of air.

Arisa's grip on her camera trembling, her chest feeling too tight all of a sudden and her heart beating like crazy.

Everything was too much.

Grey-blue eyes quickly fell to Oikawa, who was chasing after the ball. He pointed to Iwaizumi, calling him for the long off-court set he was about to make. It was almost impossible to do, but Oikawa managed, twirling his body around, arms outstretched to catch the ball before tossing it up in the air, the ball sailed through and towards an awaiting palm. The moment he crashed, Arisa panicked, especially when he stood up and tripped on himself with his knee, particularly on his bad knee.

"TORU!" His name slipped from her mouth – voice screeching in a high octave, surprising Yachi, Saeko, Takinoue, Shimada, and even her.

Realizing what she did, she quickly slapped a hand over her mouth and ducked down, holding back tears. She hoped no one heard that, with the match going on and all. Arisa stayed down a while to calm herself, willing the tears away. Thankfully, she held them back in time to see Hinata bring in the winning spike.

 

…

 

After Karasuno won, Arisa didn't know what to feel.

She should be happy, she really should. But why couldn’t she be?

Seeing Tobio and Oikawa on court, staring at each other, she knew exactly what she wanted to feel – hurt.

These were two of the best setters she knew, two boys she loved.

But Oikawa always hated Tobio and Tobio has always looked up to Oikawa – there will always be some sort of animosity between the two.

She couldn’t catch what they were saying, but she figured that now they were even. And then, they walked off to their respective teams, hurt still in her heart.

Her eyes immediately looked up towards the boys' team, seeing them crumble after a few words from their coaches. And as the team walked up to the stands to greet their school and supporters, her heart broke when she saw the strong Iwaizumi break down, she never once saw him cry. Iwaizumi has always struck her as everyone’s pillar – Oikawa’s most especially, he kept everyone grounded.

With a slap to his back, Oikawa managed to get the ace back up, along with taps from Hanamaki and Matsukawa. The pain inside her subsided, replacing it with warmth as the ace wiped his tears and joined the team line up.

"Thank you very much!" Oikawa echoed, the rest of the team repeating after him.

From where she stood, she could see the pain in the eyes of girls' team as they clapped – they were heading for finals, but not the boys. Both teams trained so hard, but only the girls made it to the next round. Segumi, and a few third years were in tears.

(Arisa clapped from her spot.)

On the other hand, Karasuno were all smiles and cheers for their victory – seeing the whole team being dogpiled by the shortest members. It was a picturesque scene, she couldn't help taking a photo in spite of her warring feelings.

"Shall we go?" says Yachi, shaking Arisa off of her reverie.

"A-Ah," sneaking a look at the retreating white and cyan team, she nodded at the blonde teen. "sure."

 

…

 

Arisa has always loved stars.

When she was a little girl, and Takeru (or Tobio) would have nightmares, she'd simply quell their fears by showing them the night sky. A blanket of dark, accompanied by flashes of stars that sprawled around, and then there was the moon, the overseer of the night. She'd tell them stories about the night sky, ones she's read from Japanese mythologies or heard from her grandfather or godfather. A little while later, fear would disappear into their eyes and be replaced by awe.

Growing up, she found out that the stars she adored were actually millions of years dead, so she felt a little betrayed. When Takeru was gone and Tobio outgrew his nightmares, she no longer had a reason to be so excited about stars – of floating dead rocks in space.

However, one boy came to her life and reintroduced her love for stars and celestial bodies. When she was with him, she discovered that there were more stories about the stars, that yes, they can still be floating dead rocks in space, but they're still beautiful.

_So, what if the stars we're seeing is dead? It doesn't make them any less beautiful. As long as they're there, then they're real and beautiful to us._

A sigh left her mouth, staring at the stars above her, her back against the wall. She remembered Oikawa telling her that which felt like such a lifetime ago.

Hugging her backpack to her chest, she could hear her cousin talking to the team regarding their opponents tomorrow: Niiyama Girl's High.

As the girls were heading for the representative play-offs, Arisa couldn't help but stare at the boys' gymnasium. She wanted to check on them, on  _him._  A small part of her, at least.

The door to the girls' gymnasium slid open, revealing her bespectacled best friend. The brunette turned, looking for her best friend, who she found was leaning next to the door, unperturbed, unmoving – worrying the brunette.

Having noticed her friend's gaze, Segumi walked up to Arisa. A gentle pat on her shoulder and Arisa was brought back to now. Before she could say a word, Segumi beat her to it, "Go," she says simply.

Arisa slipped her bag around and sighed, eyeing her guiltily. The brunette offered a kind smile, and that was enough. Arisa gave her friend a quick good luck hug for tomorrow before working the nerve to head towards the boys' gymnasium.

As she walked, she contemplated. What was she going to do or say once she got there? She honestly has no idea. Stupid small part of her.

 

…

 

"You are the partner that I can boast." She heard them before she saw them, quickly pressing her back against the wall as the two friends talked. "You're a really amazing setter. Even if the team changes, that will not change." Arisa couldn't help but smile, Iwaizumi really was such an amazing person (it was no wonder Segumi liked him). He always puts others before himself, often, being a bit too stern in the process – but that was because he cared. "But when we will fight, I  _will_  defeat you."

She could picture the look on Oikawa's face, who clearly hadn't expected such words from his childhood friend. He was so lucky to have him keep him grounded, and he to remind him that it's okay to break down.

"Bring it on."

Unable to help herself, she peaked a look at the two, just as their fists bumped.

She hadn't meant to eavesdrop on them, but apparently, there was a tiny part of her still cared. That stupid part of her. Somehow, she felt assured from hearing Iwaizumi’s speech to his best friend.

Feeling assured, Arisa began to walk away. Just as she was to leave, however, somebody grabbed hold of her wrist, she looked up – it was Oikawa.

Without waiting for her response, and acting on impulse, he began to drag her with him. In long strides, he drags her with him someplace far and private.

Iwaizumi, who had been watching, heaved a sigh, and continued to walk home.

Pushing her against the wall, Oikawa plants his hands on either side of her, caging her in, and spats at how happy she must be for finally seeing Tobio win and he lose.

"Oh, I could see the headlines now: 'Aoba Johsai lost to Karasuno, finally making their break after years of drought, meanwhile team captain Oikawa just proves how pathetic he is against Kageyama Tobio'! Go on, say it!" Arisa was rendered speechless. "You must be thrilled that Tobio finally won against me, that the Great Oikawa Toru has found his place and can back the fuck out, right? So please,  _please_  say it to my face." His voice is dark, his eyes even darker as he stares at her. It was honestly scaring her.

Arisa stretched out a hand, ready to smack his face, but Oikawa caught it and slammed it into the wall, she flinched at the impact.

She swallowed harshly, he was dangerously close, sneering angrily at her – frustrated, his breathing was harsh, her errant heart was beating like crazy against her chest.

This was one conversation she wanted to avoid. Not once, since then, have the two exes talked about what really happened. She thought she could go through the year - one last year - without it ever being brought up.

Apparently, she was wrong.

Oikawa managed to always catch her off guard.

"You know what? This is why we broke up in the first place! Your sick obsession with being better than anyone else, it's eating you!" She remembered that day when he almost backhanded Tobio, how distraught she had been. It took her days to talk to him, look him in the eye without worrying in the slightest that he'd hurt Tobio again.

Just hearing her voice seemed to snap him out of it, making him recoil. Using her free hand, she shoved him away from her – by a mere inch. "I hardly recognize you anymore! And no, you can't pin this on Tobi," she pointed at him accusingly. "Yes, his presence was a threat to you. Yes, you had the right to feel insecure. But in the process, you were shutting out everyone! And that was fucking unfair of you!" she was digging dangerously deep from the past she never thought she'd tap, never thought she'd ever – her tone getting harsher, bitter, with every word, every memory bringing back the pain she tried so hard to bury. "I waited, okay? Waited for you to open up to me, to share your burdens – but you didn't. And you know something else? When you didn't, a part of me found myself horribly opening up to the truth: I hated you. And not because of the frustration of my parents that I turned out to be a girl, or that by dating you I was making them happy because you were everything they wanted, but because you were becoming someone I hated: myself. You were becoming _me_."

When she was done, she hadn't realized just how much she had said – her chest heaving, her breathing harsh – and Oikawa, who stood there taking her words in, looked as lost as ever.

"And the second time?"

The moment the question was asked she looked away, shaking her head. "The second time we broke up," she swallowed, feeling her throat dry. He shouldn't have asked, she hated that question. "I-I…" she bit down her lower lip, feeling it tremble. "…I."

"You were scared." He answered for her, much to her surprise. She swallowed hard, feeling something tug in her heart.

"Pride and respect were all I had left in times you decided we break up."

"Lest I remind you that  _you_  wanted us to break up, you were stirring me up-" he threw at her, she took a step back, her back already pressed against the wall. "and finally, when it blew up in your face, you have the gall to act like the victim?!"

"I didn't actually think you'd do it."

" _Please_ , as much as I loved you, I too had some respect for myself."

When all was said and done, silence filled in. Oikawa paused to breathe, eyes on her, waiting.

In a shaky breath, Arisa asked, "Why now?" She turned her head up, eyes burning.

His gaze was steady as if anticipating her question. "I've been holding it in since we broke up, been bottling all inside it me ever since, just waiting for the right time I guess. I was disillusioned by the fact that I let you let me slip through your fingers and I was stupid enough – or prideful enough, to think that you'd never find true happiness and leave you to suffer. And then when you decided to go on a date with Mr. Refreshing, I couldn't hold it in anymore." Oikawa ran both hands through his hair in frustration, uncaring that he had messed it up. Remembering the day, he saw them together, holding hands, broke him. Arisa was happy, he never thought she could be happy with anybody else. And as much as he hated to admit he was jealous of Sugawara, of how easy he could make Arisa smile. Sugawara Koushi was everything Oikawa failed to be, someone he  _actually_  aspired to be underneath his fine façade. "Ever since we broke up, I tried to date other girls to forget you. I tried so hard to forget about you,” he laughed without humor “tried so poorly according to Aiko and Iwa-chan."

A draft of cold air blew in, thickening the already tense tension between them.

At this point, Arisa realized how honestly tired she was of fighting with him every chance they had in the past year over the same thing.

"I heard you call my name," he whispers. Her eyes fell shut, head still kept low, not wanting him to see the look on her face, of how it affected her so. "In a sea of people, of crowds cheering, your voice was the only thing I heard."

She bit down her lower lip, the tenderness of his voice making her shake.

Oikawa took a step towards her, closing the distance between them, his large frame towering over hers. Lowering his head, brown eyes desperately search for her gray-blue ones, ones that were filled with constellations, galaxies. He always loved losing himself in them.

"Come back to me," he practically begs, weakly leaning over her, resting his head on her shoulder. "I still love you, Arisa."

Her heart skips a beat, betraying her as tears spill from her eyes. She can't help but wrap her arms around him, feeling him quiver as she held onto him. She couldn't help it. After all these years, she does too – she still loves him. And she never stopped.

The only problem was: she can't, it's too destructive.

And she just can't fucking say the words, once was enough.

_Forgive me, Toru._

Her heart was tired – his was probably, too.

This was the same old thing they couldn't let go, the only thing that ever bounded them together.

Both hearts were honestly tired of waiting, waiting for that one speck of miracle to fix everything they once had to start their relationship anew. The fact of the matter is, no matter how painful is, they couldn’t wait forever – the enemy that was the swords of time was too strong.

So, in the remaining seconds in their embrace, for a while, she pretended that he was hers again.

She'll dream of the time she returned his love for her, dream of having him in her home during weekends because he wanted to, dream of them taking a hike with her godfather and listening to him whine of the high altitude, dream of them helping their best friend confess and when they get together they go on double dates from time to time, dream of helping him dry his futon and teasing him how they had to do it in his living room much to his embarrassment, dream of doing shoots to feed his vanity and for fun, dream about life beyond the universe, dream about seeing Tobi and him getting a long (or trying to), dream about their future during pillow talk – she'll dream, even if it hurts.

It was a bittersweet notion, but it was all she had to offer.

Was she weak? Yes, she always was.

Was she foolish? Yes, she was as well.

For one second in her life, did she ever come to a point of regretting the love she had for Oikawa Toru? Never.

She loved him so much, too much, that it scared her.

But it just wasn't enough.

Arisa brought a hand to his cheek, bringing his gaze to meet hers – his painstakingly beautiful brown eyes dancing with sorrow, staring into those gray-blue eyes he loved so much, mirroring the emotion in his – before she presses her lips against his, softly. He returned the kiss, almost desperately, intensely, feeling her fingers card through his locks, her other hand held onto his neck while his hands found solace on her waist, holding her close. The more they kissed, the deeper it became. It was the familiar fierce assault, the heated touches, the rhythmic beat of their breaths. They could taste the salt of each other's tears. He could feel his heart beating wildly against his chest hating how the kiss seemed so sad and final.

Pulling away, just a hairsbreadth away, she whispers, "I'm sorry." before walking away for the second time, muffling sobs in her hand.

 

…

 

Pulling the door open, she caught sight of Tobio outside, tossing the ball in the air. She knew she'd find him out here, in spite of the chilly weather, tossing around – to clear his head. Her lips quickly pull into a smile. "Tobi!"

The boy jumped in surprise, catching the ball in his hands before turning to her. "Nee-san! What are you doing here?"

"Nice to see you, too, Tobi." She ruffled his hair playfully, her breath coming out in puffs. "I'm visiting, of course." Putting her hands in her pockets, her eyes trailed around the familiar backyard filled with good memories of her childhood. "Want to toss around a bit? It's been a while."

The younger teen's blue eyes sparkled with life and he was quick to take on her offer. Arisa positioned herself on the other side, Tobio tossed the ball to his cousin, who caught it with ease.

"By the way, congratulations on winning against Shiratorizawa." She returned the ball with her forearms, watching it bounce back to her cousin. "I heard it was a heated game."

"You didn't watch it?"

Seeing the younger teen's crestfallen expression, she offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I had an entrance exam to take in Tokyo on the same day. I just learned about your win from Jigou-jii-san."

Understanding dawned on him, but it didn't exactly ease his expression. "I see…it's okay, nee-san."

It really wasn't, but it was so cute to see him so upset about her not being there.

"I'm really sorry." She received the ball with her hands overhead this time, Tobio quick to receive it. "They say you played a full set, that's impressive." She says in an attempt to lighten the mood, which did. "And Takeda-sensei told me you got selected at the Japan Youth Training Camp, so double congratulations, you."

Tobio all but let her words get to him, pride swelling, her praises meant a lot to him. It really did. But something was bothering him, bugged him ever since. Tossing the ball, he watched as his cousin easily caught it and tossed it back. Even though she quit volleyball for some time, she still hasn't lost her touch. It really was a shame she had to retire early, she had so much potential.

"Nee-san, back in middle school, did you break up with Oikawa-san because of me?"

She froze, letting the ball fly past her, his question catching her off-guard. "Why would you think that?"

He shrugged, watching her carefully. "I guessed as much."

But to be honest, Tobio had thought the reason Arisa quit volleyball was because of him. It was a hard pill to swallow.

After all, she got him to play. She was his inspiration to play.

She probably quit to make room for him.

Knowing she couldn't hide it from him, she nodded. "Is that so…"

He swallowed thickly, releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, having finally heard her answer.

"Actually," she says, he looked up. "that's not all to it," she tucked her hands into her pockets. "he was…becoming too much to handle." Tobio frowned, she smiled at his innocence as she continued. "he was shutting people out, from being so insecure." Arisa sighed, twirling on her heel to pick the ball from the ground. "Before you came, he was always so insecure about himself, always wanted to prove that he was the best. And then, you came along. You made everything seem to effortlessly done."

Blinking, her words seemed a bit too much for him. Arisa let him be, letting the thoughts sink into his brain. When finally, it dawned unto him, he couldn't help but cup the back of his neck.

"Don't worry," she laughed, staring at the ball for a few seconds before picking it up. "you're not the one he hated most. That top spot's for Ushijima Wakatoshi."

"Nee-san, you know Oikawa-san that much, huh?"

Chuckling nervously, she slowly stood, hugging the ball. "Well, duh, I dated him.  _Twice._ "

She tossed the ball back to Tobio, who, for once, hadn't seen the ball coming. His expression was enough to make her smile, had she not noticed his tone earlier. It reminded her very much of the scene of him and Oikawa after Karasuno won against Aoba Johsai.

"D-Did…" she swallowed, though her throat was dry. "Did he hurt you after…?"

Frowning, Tobio was quick to understand her question and shook his head. "No, he just seemed more childish than usual."

She took a ragged breath and nodded. "I see."

Ducking his head, his attention turned to the ball in his hand, twirling it around. But in the years she knew him, she knew that he was probably doing some thinking.

"A-Also…" shuffling on the spot, his shoes digging into the cold earth, he peeked through his fringe. "nee-san, are you back with Oikawa-san?"

"No," she shook her head, he was probably thinking to that one time he saw them, running a hand through her hair. "We did get back together last year, but we broke up shortly."

Tobio chewed on his lip, letting the ball sit in his palm while scratching his hair, unsure what to do with his hands. "When were you going to tell me?"

"I was planning to, believe me." She took a step closer, his blue eyes watching her. Those blue eyes that just aged so much, no longer filled with childish rage. "I was scared of letting him manipulate me into hating you. I was scared of hurting you because you looked up to him. I just…I just keep holding myself back. It's all I've ever done then."

Bringing his palms to the ball, producing a light smack, Tobio continued to regard her. "You just have a hard time trusting the people who hurt you. You're also scared of showing your weak side. Nee-san is stubborn, is all."

Arisa's brows knitted together but found herself chuckling, it was true. Only a select knew her really and her trademark Taurus trait of being stubborn.

Overhead, the snow started to fall – both cousins pulled her head back to watch white flakes pour down from the darkened skies, sticking to their dark hairs.

Shaking the snow off her hair, she smiled down at her cousin and announced. "I think it's time we get back inside-"

"Nee-san," Tobio called out, almost forcefully. "I also have something else to say."

Taken by the volume of his voice, she turned back to him. "Okay…"

"Um," he fidgeted in place, glaring at the ground, she could almost see the gears in his head working. "I-It's okay if...um, nee-san, you can. Um." At first, he was stuttering. And then, he was mumbling things under her breath. Arisa was worried, about to ask him if he was okay when he said in one breath: "Nee-san, what I'm trying to say is: you don't have to look after me anymore."

Those words felt like a stab to her heart, her mouth parting. "You don't mean that."

"I do," Tobio gulped, worry in his eyes, but there was also something there, akin to maturity. "You've done so much for me nee-san, and I appreciate that, but you've given so little for yourself in turn. I can never think of a time where nee-san was always the first to help me off my feet, especially when I thought the world had given up on me. You mean a lot to me, you really do. But the truth is," he gulped, harshly, his blue eyes sad, like all those years ago. "I'm nothing more but to fill the longing for your brother. I'm nothing but Takeru's substitute, right?"

"TOBIO!"

Tobio flinched, eyes wide in surprise. She never raised her voice at him, not once.

For a moment, she was quiet, simply acting out of instinct. His words were ringing in her head, like a painful reminder of everything Oikawa told her before. It was hard, physically and emotionally hard, when the truth was twisted up, and to have to answer it in a way that would already hurt her.

Sweet Tobio, oh how long he must've thought of it.

Tears began welling up in her eyes, much to his alarm. "That's true, you're not Takeru. I know that. But I love you, Tobio. You're like a brother to me, the brother I had and lost." She shook, unclenching her fists, she could feel it to her fingertips. "Yes, I'll admit that I did take advantage of being the oldest. But at the time, I knew that I had to protect you both. And I was so happy doing my time of being the older sister looking after her younger brothers. You were an only child," the memory of Tobio watching her and Takeru burned in her mind, the loneliness in his blue eyes. "so I didn't want you to feel lonely. That's why you had me and Takeru. We were family. It was hard losing Takeru because he was my blood brother, who had his whole life ahead of him only to be taken away by his sickness. I just wanted to take care of you as I would Takeru. I'm sorry you think that."

Tobio rushes to her, the ball falling off and rolling into the ground, quickly enveloping his cousin into a hug. "No, I'm sorry nee-san." She returns his hug, tears streaming down her face. "But I still stand by what I said."

She smiles, holding him tighter. "Of course. When did you grow up so fast?"

The cousins held each other for a while, sharing in each other's warmth and assuring the other that they were loved, that they were never forgotten, and that they always had a special place in the other's heart.

"Tobi?"

"Yes, nee-san?"

"Go win some at nationals, okay?"

"Of course."

 

…

 

Graduation was a solemn occasion, bittersweet as well.

Everywhere around her, everyone was feeling it – tears in their eyes as they throw each other in friend's arms, cracking what may be the last joke they'll share, but smiles are on their faces.

Quote, what feels like the end, is often a new beginning, unquote, said the class valedictorian.

Funny how a few years ago, she was dreading the moment she was enrolled to this school and now she was leaving it equally dreaded but only because she was technically an adult – at least according to Japanese Ministry of Education. That, and the diploma in her hand.

The cherry blossoms fell like rain, painting the school pink. She reached out a hand, watching a petal fall on her hand – tragic that something so beautiful had to greet her on this day. Ironic, really.

"Nee-san!" At the sound of a familiar voice, Arisa turns her head, fixing on a smile – only to be greeted by a flash.

"Congratulations, Arisa." Greeted a chubby, dark-skinned man.

Her smile grew, exposing her teeth. "Jigou-jii-san!" behind him was a familiar teen, with hair as dark as hers. "Tobi!" he held a bouquet to her.

"Congratulations on graduating, nee-san!"

She takes the bouquet gratefully, engulfing the boy into a one-arm hug. "Thank you! And thank you for coming."

"O-Of course, I'd come!" he says, cheeks puffing and red. "Nee-san went to mine."

She laughed, ruffling her cousin's head. "Where're my parents and my grandfather?"

"Aunt and Uncle said they wanted to say hi to some friends, while your grandfather went to the toilet. He brought Nagasaki with him." Arisa laughed again, especially at the mention of the family dog. Nagasaki was a happy dog, but for some reason, he was scared of Tobio.

Turning to her godfather, she playfully punched his shoulder. "And you! You told me you couldn't come!"

Rubbing his arm, he chuckled heartily. "And miss the graduation of my godchild? Ha! Fat chance!" he says, smiling down at her. She returned the smile, which has been there since this morning.

"Alrighty, let me take a picture of you two, okay?" her godfather says.

The two posed together, smiles on their faces as the cherry blossoms fell behind them. Her parents and grandfather appeared not soon later, joining in the pictures.

Seeing (and hearing) a group of people, she excused herself from her family (handing Tobio's bouquet to her father) and walked towards them.

"Ah, Segumi!" Arisa waved at the brunette, her wavy hair flying in the wind, having decided to leave it long. The brunette was grinning ear to ear at the sight of her. "I've been looking for you, where have you been?"

"A-Ah, toilet." She replied, playing with her hair. Arisa noticed that she kept three of her fingers in, using only two of her fingers to fix her hair.

"What's that in your hand?" A maddening blush dusts the brunette's cheeks when Arisa asked, making her curiosity spike even more. Segumi seemed to hesitate at first, much to Arisa's confusion.

Taking a step forward, cutting the distance between the two and creating some sort of privacy, she slowly opened her palm, revealing a single button.

Arisa's brain took some time to process, because that was strange their school doesn't have  _gakuran_  uniforms. But she knew she saw this in some cheesy film before-

And then, it clicked.

"Wait…" If possible, Segumi's face darkened even more. "Segumi, d-did…?" the brunette nodded furiously, closing her palm and bringing her fist to her chest. She peered her eyes at her best friend, realization slowly sinking in. "You didn't give your ribbon in return, did you?"

Without waiting for her reply, Arisa quickly directed her attention to a familiar spiky-haired former vice-captain and ace player – Iwaizumi Hajime, then back to her best friend, noticing for the first time that she was missing her ribbon. Looking back at the ace, a familiar ribbon had been wrapped around his wrist.

At the realization, she squealed and enveloped her friend in a tight hug. People were staring at them, wondering what they were so happy about.

"I'm so happy for you!" she says after pulling away, mirroring her best friend's grin.

Happiness brimmed on her friend's doe eyes, Segumi looking like she was about to cry, but struggled to keep them in. Behind her, Hanamaki, Matsukawa, and Oikawa were poking fun at the ace, who was red in the face.

"Thank you," Segumi replied, wiping rebellious tears away, laughing through the tears. "I'm so happy, too."

Although the girls' team couldn't secure a spot for nationals, Arisa had never been prouder of her best friend – her sweet best friend who deserved everything coming her way. While the best friends were having their moment, and gushing over Segumi's new love life, they were soon joined in by some of the graduating members of the girls' team, together with her cousin and her newborn son.

Her godfather popped out of nowhere, together with Tobio, and began taking photos. Arisa took dozens of photos with her class, both volleyball teams.

As she was talking with her peers, hugging her cousin from behind, someone cleared their throat behind her. She felt a shiver run down her spine, slowly letting go of her cousin as they turned to the person behind them in unison – Oikawa.

Noticing the change, her peers silently excused themselves from the scene.

Her protective instincts kicked in before she held herself, it had been a habit. Beside her, her cousin simply gave her a look. The cousins looked at the tall brunet in question.

"Tobio," he addressed her cousin directly. "congratulations."

The young teen blinked at that but stood straighter. "T-Thank you, Oikawa-san! And you too, as well!"

Something small suddenly ran up to Arisa, wrapping their small arms around her waist. Surprised, Arisa looked down and was met with a teary-eyed Takeru, now sporting a thick mane of curly locks like that of his mother's.

Coming to, she greeted the boy with a light smile "H-Hey," with one hand, she wiped his tears away, with the other, she ruffled through his hair.

"He missed you," Oikawa murmured lowly, Takeru tightening his hold around her, the tips of his ears red. She feels awful after hearing that, having been close with the boy. Arisa didn't care that her uniform was getting stained as she hugged the boy back, having missed him too. A flash caught her off-guard (once again), she looked up, surprised at who she found.

Arisa stiffened at the sight of her, unsure how to approach her. She felt Takeru move in her arms.

"Takeru, get over here," his mom called, and he obeyed, furiously wiping his tears and ran up to his dad, who was standing beside his mom.

"Hey, you two," Aiko called, appearing behind them, a camera in hand. "take a picture together."

Oikawa and Arisa stared at each other, quite awkwardly, before Oikawa cleared his throat and gestured for the photo. Arisa complied, quite stiffly. The two stood next to each other, Oikawa putting an arm around Arisa's shoulder, his touch surprised them both, but they were quick to put on a smile as Aiko pressed the button.

 

…

 

"I always forget how much energy your team has," Arisa laughed, carefully walking along the rocks with, hands outstretched to her sides, her sandals held on either hand. Luckily, Sugawara was walking beside (below) her, making sure she didn't fall. "almost at par with Johzenji."

The gray-haired teen pulled his head back, barking a laugh. "Yeah, we kind of are. But only because we have four idiots that keep the team alive."

She quickly turned around, offended for her little cousin, looking down at him with her arms crossed over her borrowed jacket. "Hey, that's mean!"

"So, you admit that your cousin is an idiot?" he asked with a raised brow.

Arisa struggled to keep a straight face but lost, eventually breaking into chuckles. She knelt, hiding her face in her hands.

"You suck!" she tells him, voice muffling.

He laughed with her. "Hey, you're still not denying anything!" He shrugged easily, walking up to help her down the rocks.

She took his hand and gently hopped down, quickly putting on her sandals afterward.

Arisa had been invited to Karasuno's victory party – having won nationals. It was a small get together on a mountain spring for two days and one night. Considering the hectic week, she and the rest of the third years has been through, the party was a sort of relief – especially the hot springs.

On the first day, immediately she was asked to play with them for old time's sake – joining the graduating team (Coach Ukai was even in their team) in a play against the lower year levels. They must've played for hours with a team having monster stamina (and players, according to Tsukishima). And then, they headed to the springs to relax.

Later that night, it was a full-blown party. Well, it felt like it – with rumbustious team members, a cheerful (almost drunk) teacher, cheery banter, and horrible singing. Still, it felt wholesome.

Arisa had sat next to her cousin, who had never been to an outing that wasn't training camp – he didn't have many friends. When she leaned against him, she could almost feel the excited and nervous energy inside him that wanted to join in the fun. Seeing Nishinoya pick a song, she pushed her cousin to his feet.

It had been a night of laughs and tears – a bittersweet occasion with the team moving forward and the seniors passing the torches to them, but nonetheless, it was a night to remember.

And just as the night was getting started, Sugawara (discreetly) approached her and asked if they could take a walk.

(Thankfully this time, no one noticed them leave.)

It was a cold spring evening – not too hot, not too cold.

The two walked in silence as they walked around the gardens, the sounds of their wooden sandals trotting against the cobblestone filling in.

As they were in the mountains, there weren't many houses or they were too far, filling in the spaces were trees, plains, grass, or rivers. The air was cooler, thinner, and sweeter. It's not that often that Arisa gets to visit the countryside, but it sure was peaceful. A soft laugh sounded next to her, making her realize that she had spoken aloud.

"You sound like an old man." Sugawara laughed, tucking his hands into his sleeves, making him look like a monk.

"What? It's true!" she was quick to defend herself. "Better than city life, where everything's a mess."

"That's true," Sugawara nodded, wistfully.

Arisa eyed him from the corner of her eye, confused at his sudden air of wisdom. He was usually the chatty type, but right now he was just quiet.

As if sensing her gaze, he looked down and met her eyes, giving nothing away as he smiled. Arisa didn't look away either, still trying to figure him out.

Sugawara's gazed flicked past her, to the view in front of them. Arisa followed his gaze and sighed. They stopped at by a small pond, the moonlight reflecting in the water and the slight movement from the koi fishes that lingered.

"I wish I brought my camera with me," Arisa sighed again.

"You don't need it," the teen says next to her, his voice soft. "You just need to take the view in. The best moments aren't captured by film, but by our hearts."

She snorted, turning to him. "That was actually kind of cheesy-"

Suddenly, there was a pair of lips pressed against hers – chaste and firm, warm and soft.

Caught completely by surprise, Arisa's body went rigid but didn't push him away.

When Sugawara pulled away, although dazed, Arisa could feel herself burning up, her breath coming up short. In front of her, Sugawara was equally red but kept a firm expression with his eyes kept on her. "How did it feel?"

Arisa could feel her heart pounding, from her chest to her throat, if that made sense. Her lips tingled at the touch. And yet, all she felt was guilt.

Her silence was enough, the gray-haired teen sighed defeatedly.

"I knew it." His shoulders sagged in defeat. Taking a deep breath, he tipped his head back and angrily exhaled. "Ah, that was so uncool!"

"I'm sorry, Koushi-kun." She said with a slight hitch in her voice.

"Oh, don't be." He holds her eyes in his, his Adam's apple bobs in his throat. "I always knew I didn't have a chance."

"But you did."

"I did," he repeated, the flush slowly fading from his face, a defeated sigh escaping his lips. "but not just enough, right?"

"I feel really shitty," says Arisa, burying her face in her hands. "I'm the shittiest girl on the face of the earth."

"No, you're not. You're just too honest with yourself." He tells her, she looks up. "I knew that something was up the moment Oikawa showed up that day during our practice match. And after you told me about your history, I thought that maybe," running a hand through his hair, he let it drop to his side. "just maybe, I could be the better man for you. But that's wishful thinking and idealistic of me, isn't it? I always knew I didn't stand a chance, but still, I went for it because I like you." What he was speaking was the truth – heartfelt and true, something she envied him so much.

His confession was too much to handle, hating how he was being considerate, kind, yet calm at the same time. "Has anyone told you that you can be devilishly perceptive?"

He snorted. "Perceptive, yes. Devilishly? No. That's a first, actually. To my face." A pleasant half-smile appears on his face, warm eyes regarding her cool ones. "But has anyone ever told you that you're protecting yourself from another heartbreak?"

"Touché." She said weakly, he reminded her of Oikawa sometimes, for being so perceptive.

But what she didn't tell him was that he, Sugawara Koushi, could just be the person she needed right now. That the idea of them was actually possible. She could fall for him easily. He was warm. He was snarky. He was honest. He always made her feel so secure. He was so reliable. He was perfect, not totally, but he was. It's just that…Oikawa Tooru was first, and he couldn't leave no matter how hard she tries.

"You don't have to say anymore, Yoshizawa." Sugawara said with a shake of his head as if he knew her thoughts. It just made her heart hurt even more.

Turning his back to her, he stared blankly at the water in front of him, the koi swimming without a care in the world.

"Hey," she tugged at his kimono. "Koushi-kun."

He looked over his shoulder, meeting her eyes.

It took just one look before he leaned in to kiss her again. And this time, she kissed him back.

She closed her eyes, losing herself in the kiss that made her float dizzily into the moment, feeling his hands cupping her cheek and her waist.

Overhead, a cloud slithered through, covering the moon and filling in the moment with a cloud of darkness. They were still kissing even after the moon showed itself again.

Parting, all Arisa could feel – aside from her heart ready to skyrocket out of her mouth, the heat from her skin, and the shaking of her body – was nothing.

And Sugawara saw through that, smiling nonetheless that kind smile of his. Her heart hurt again, she didn't deserve that smile. Regardless, he pulled her close, tucking her head under his chin.

"Well, thank you for the rejection and for stealing my first kiss."

She couldn't help but laugh, smacking his shoulder. "You're such a dork."

 

…

 

When Arisa arrived home, she immediately went to her room and replaced the contents of her bag with beachwear, as the next day, she was invited to Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club's farewell party.

Honestly, it was tiring to travel. Also, considering that the two invites were exact opposites of each other. But she couldn't say no to both invites, even though she really wanted to rest. (Thankfully, the Press Club had their year-end/farewell party a week before she received both invites.)

Arisa was invited by the Karasuno team plainly because they like her and for her cousin's sake, as for the Aoba Johsai team, it's because she's played a part in both team's success that year and because Segumi and the rest of the girls' team wanted her to be there.

Although tiring, Arisa will admit she was looking forward to it. She liked traveling, and she liked picturesque places.

Azukihama was a picture perfect little place – the skies were at its bluest, the ocean that spread as far as the eye can see, white sandy beaches, and a rocky island surrounded the place like a barrier. She was so glad she decided she brought her camera, she was never without it.

(She just hoped she still had some memory or she at least brought her extra memory card.)

Just like the Karasuno trip, it was a two-day, one-night trip.

And since it was spring, there was barely any people at the beach save for the rowdy volleyball teams and a few tourists.

Everyone from the volleyball team (even the energetic Hinagiku) were running towards the beach the moment they arrived, while the coaches and second years chased after them.

They had left early, giving Arisa time to sleep on the ride, and arrived in time for lunch. Afterwards, everyone headed for the beach. And considering that they were a volleyball team, a game of beach volleyball was bound to happen.

Arisa enjoyed watching from the side, along with the coaches (especially her cousin and her newborn child), doing her usual routine of taking a lot of photos. Not soon after, she was asked to play often playing doubles along with Segumi or her cousin.

 _I spend too much time with volleydorks,_  she thought as she made her serve. The lower-years cheered for her as she played. She couldn't help her infamous smile making its way to her face as she played.

At one point, she and Segumi went up against Iwaizumi and Oikawa. It was awkward at first, but entertaining as the game progressed. Of course, in the end, the former vice-captain and captain won.

Quite noticeably, during the rest of the trip, she barely spoke to Oikawa at all. Oikawa, in turn, seemed oblivious to her presence. (It kind of hurt, to be honest)

Later that evening, a small program was held. Coach Yoshizawa had a video played of the (now) graduates' tryouts and early days in the team. Laughter roared, tears shed, all at the nostalgia. They've sure come a long way. A few speeches were made by the former captains and vice-captains, making it quite emotional.

Soon after came the announcement of the new captains and vice-captain for the two teams: Yahaba was the new captain for the boys' team, with Ueno as the vice-captain; Yoshino was the new captain for the girls' team, with Nishijo (Suzuna) as the vice-captain.

Shortly after the turnover of responsibilities, the night began. Out came the karaoke machine and the booze and drinks, not everyone drank but that was okay. Not everyone could party, and that was okay as well.

Some graduates, however, would try and goad the lower years to take a sip. The poor souls.

Arisa enjoyed watching the night unfold, letting herself loose as everyone seemed to be enjoying herself.

Taking a sip of her beer, she smiled, watching the two new, adorably awkward couple – Hajime and Segumi. She can't help but be happy for them, finally after three years! And they both got accepted to Tokyo University!

The two were being fawned upon by everyone, especially since some of the third years had been betting on them and waiting for forever for them to get together.

A soft gust of wind swept through her face, blowing a strand of hair to her cheek. Turning her head, her eyes stared off at the blackened ocean – as if it was calling out to her.

Stepping away from the crowd, she discreetly made her way to the beach. The noise getting softer as she walked further away, finding herself standing by the wooden beach walk, staring off at the sea.

Breathing in through her nose, the salty smell of the ocean cooled her insides. Exhaling, she walked up the railings, hoisted herself up and sitting down, her feet dangling off.

A loud cheer sounded off behind her, she turned to look. It sure was a party now.

 _Beach and booze, that must be quite the combination._  She thought, wrapping one arm against the iron pole beside her.

"You'll fall," a voice calls behind her.

She rolled her eyes, even though she knew he wouldn't see it. "Stop being such a mom, Hajime."

"What're you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be joining the fun?" he asked, propping his elbows against the railing.

"Pass. I'm not really the party type, it takes too much energy, even just being there." She replied, staring out at the darkened ocean.

"I get you," laughs Iwaizumi, rubbing the back of his neck.

Leaning her head against the pole, she eyed spiky-haired for a while, eventually saying. "Congrats by the way,"

Laughing through his next sip, Iwaizumi bit down as he flushed. "Y-Yeah."

"Took you long enough, asshole!" she laughingly threw a punch to his shoulder.

Iwaizumi rubbed at his shoulder (Arisa packed quite a punch), smiling gratefully. "It wasn't easy."

"It never was." There was something in her voice when she said that, Iwaizumi noted. Arisa didn't seem to notice as she nods at her words, staring at her drink. Turning to the spiky-haired teen, she lifts her drink up. "But I'm happy for you two, really."

Ever so slightly, the corners of his lips lift, raising his drink in the air with her. The two drink to it, silence filling in – save for the waves crashing, crickets singing, and the distant racket behind them.

"You're his first love, you know that?" he says suddenly, almost sounding like he was scolding her. She smiled; Hajime really was such a mom sometimes. He was also a good friend.

Arisa said nothing, swirling the contents of her drink instead.

She knew that. Of course, she did, even before he told her. She knew because he was hers.

He chugged his drink and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, watching her from the corner of his eye. "Does he know you're leaving?" Iwaizumi asks, nearly stopping her cold.

A brief silence filled in.

She took a swig of her beer – a beverage she hated, but relished in the burn down the throat. Swallowing down hard, her lips formed a tight line, shoulders dropping.

"Of course not." He sighs. Really, the two were such idiots.

Segumi probably told him, she was the only person (next to Tobio, her godfather, and her family) who knew.

With the help of her godfather's contacts, she was enrolled in an art school in New York.

Leaving was hard, but she needed this.

Sniffling, she shrugged, head against the cold pole. "I trust you won't tell him?"

He sighs again, hating how he was the bearer of bad news.

"Sure."

 

…

 

_"Do you ever think that we're not alone in the universe?"_

_"Okay, I'll put you to a stop there."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because either of the two scientific theories would be scary - that we're not alone, or that we are."_

_"Either way, it's something to think about, don't you think?"_

_"Please stop."_

_They laughed quietly, voices muffled by the comforts of their sheets._

_"Then again," she says with a yawn. "If we_ were _the only ones in the universe or we're not alone, it's nice that there's just you and me. The rest of them can fucking suck it."_

_He smiled at her words, even though she was probably half-asleep, watching her eyes flutter close. "Are you falling asleep?"_

_She hummed._

_"Sleep then, I'll be here."_

_"You sleep too,"_

_"But I like watching you sleep,"_

_She laughed sleepily, tiredly shoving his face away. He caught her hand in his, intertwining their fingers together._

_"You're a shitty person for quoting a shitty character."_

_"What, not a fan of a beautiful, sparkling vampire?"_

_"No, you're blinding enough." A sort of sleepy smirk makes its way into her face, he laughs._

_He chuckles, bringing her hands to his lips, pressing the gentlest of kiss on her wrist. She sighed sleepily, weakly putting on a smile._

_Lying down next to her, he wraps his arms around her frame, drawing her close._

_"Sleep." He says._

_"G'night," she slurs, the warmth of his arms and the press of his lips to her forehead the last thing she remembered. "M'not going anywhere."_

_"Me too."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, this was a LOADED chapter, a lot of loose ends to tie up (though I worry if I got them all). Also, thank you guys so much for following through with this story. Some of these chapters were based on real-life events (except for the breakup). The scene with Takeru was heavily based on my big sister's high school graduation, where my baby brother cried when he saw my sister's ex-boyfriend, as the two were close.
> 
> When writing the Aoba Johsai vs. Karasuno, I had to rewatch the episodes and remember the exact feelings I had then. So what you were reading were the emotions I felt watching it. Ugh, my heart. Cursed beautiful anime.
> 
> Oh, and the thing about the stars? I shamelessly based it from Rachel Amber from Life is Strange: Before the Storm. I was watching Jacksepticeye's playthrough before I wrote this. (I'm still in denial that Rachel is dead)
> 
> And also, I just really enjoyed the scene of Arisa kissing Oikawa (it's my favorite scene to write, as I was listening to *surprisesurprise* Malaya by Moria Dela Torre). Don't worry, the second half is a bit lighter but sad still. Again, I'm sorry I had to break it into two. I may or may not post the next half together with the epilogue, or post the whole damn thing AND THEN the epilogue. Who knows? I'm just really melancholic over the fact that it's been almost a year working on this one fic. I'm not saying my goodbyes yet, that's for the epilogue.
> 
> Also, if this chapter seems sort of rushed, I'm sorry, I tend to lose focus on the little parts as I pour my writing on parts I like. So…yeah. And yeah, I decided to break the chapter into two parts. It's kind of exciting that way. I will edit this soon, but I'm just excited to hear your thoughts on the second half of the chapter.
> 
> Epilogue to follow!


	12. epilogue

**[epilogue]**

 

Ask Oikawa Toru about his first love and the first thing he’d say were a pair of grey-blue eyes.

Grey-blue eyes that was the color of the sea, of still waters, raging waves, summer tides, the calm before the storm, of galaxies undiscovered, of a dust of constellations. Such beguiling eyes that held so much emotion and power. It was unlike any other, her eyes were like the rarest jewels in the world.

And the owner of those beautiful eyes belonged to a beautiful dark-haired girl named Arisa Yoshizawa. A girl who was too stubborn for her own good, was emotionally strong, stubbornly (again) independent, genuine, and talented.

Arisa Yoshizawa was a force to be reckoned with in the field of volleyball. And as young as she was, she had shown great promise. Offers were already made as she neared her graduating year.

The way she handled the ball looked like she had found her missing piece. Her moves were graceful, flawless. Her plays were superb, not a single wasted effort. Her very presence, her smile, commanded her team on the court, made her outshine the rest of the players.

However, the year she took the world by storm with a commendable performance – being captain  _and_  ace player of her team, leading them to semi-finals even though they didn’t win – she had announced that she was quitting the very sport that made her.

A lot of people were disheartened, disappointed even with her decision. Only a handful knew why she chose to quit.

Actually, she didn't really quit volleyball. In fact, she loved the sport, even though she was forced into it. It's just that, something was missing. As fun as it was, it just wasn't giving her the joy she wanted.

When she held the camera for the first time, it was then she found true happiness. A childlike wonder bubbled inside her with every press of a button. Photography, she realized, was her true calling, her passion.

And Oikawa loved her even more for it, to trade something that would truly make her happy – he could see it in her eyes would sparkle and come to life. He’ll miss seeing her snarky, smiley volleyball persona, but seeing her behind the camera made her shine even brighter. Oikawa especially admired how she was brave enough to give up on volleyball and pursue something she really wanted, breaking away from everyone’s expectations (which was a lot, by the way).

Ask Oikawa Toru to define what love was and he would reply with the catastrophic history of his first love, the one he risked from being so insecure and destructive as a person. And as he’d tell the tale, the ever-present wave of self-hate would wash over him up until he reached the end.

To say he was used to being hated was an understatement, he was used to it since he liked provoking his opponents. But in the duration of dating Arisa, being hated evolved into something different entirely.

It started with a harmless hate over guys who fawned over her which then became uncontrollable rage he had over people he deemed as threats to his volleyball career who was also involved with Arisa. And then came their first breakup, he was bottled up with so much hate. Over time, however, he learned to manage his rage and release it through volleyball.

Then came the second breakup. He remembered Takeru wondering why Arisa wasn’t around anymore, Oikawa refused to reply or talk about her. Just the mention of her name was taboo in their household. It didn’t take a while (maybe two days) for his nephew to put the pieces together, he had been angry at Oikawa and didn’t talk for him for months. Aiko, on the other hand, was sympathetic. She didn’t comment on it, acted all oblivious to the matter – even though she could read her brother like a book. It took about a week before he walked into her at the kitchen, taking her nightcap per the usual, that she offered him a sip, he didn’t refuse. One bottle of red wine later, the younger Oikawa was crying to his sister.

He honestly came to a point of hating himself, for letting his weakness get the best of him, allowing his love to slip from his fingers. He even hated Arisa, for being too stubborn, too passive-aggressive in their relationship, for putting him on the pedestal because she had to attend to her cousin first. He hated Kageyama, especially, for causing their first breakup. But mostly, he hated himself because he chose his insecurities over Arisa.

Thank god, he mastered the art of fake smiling, fooling so many people that he was okay. When the truth was, he broke every time he saw just a shade of her hair, her familiar figure down the hall, or the depth of her grey-blue eyes.

During the first few weeks of their senior year, Arisa was confessed to countless times and she always turned them down. Clearly, she was still healing from a broken heart.

And he was an asshole to admit that he was happy to hear this, a sick sort of satisfaction knowing no one can ever top him. But at the same time, it made Oikawa feel shitty about himself – he really hurt her  _that_  much.

So, while Arisa was turning down every guy who asked, Oikawa was freely going out with different kinds of girls – just to stave his boredom and attention away from his busy life – an illusion to his façade that many know him by, living under the illusion that Arisa was the one to be begging to get back with him.

But then, Kageyama came back into the picture, bringing with him Sugawara Koushi, who effortlessly charmed Arisa off.

No amount of self-hate could tantamount his insecurities when he saw them together – all smiles and happy – hated how they look so content with each other, how good they looked together.

The amount of self-hate he had for himself rivaled the hate he had for Ushiwaka, with the way he was offhandedly changing his girlfriends the way he changes his clothes.

Honestly, he was a complete mess.

He woke up with a start, his phone blaring off the same time his alarm was. Groggily getting up, the sheets falling off from his topless torso, he clicks off his alarm and retrieves his phone, setting his copy of ‘ _The Great Gatsby’_ and his reading glasses aside.

Scratching his chest, his tired eyes looked out his window to the familiar Tokyo skyline. The sun was just about to rise, a splash of yellow and orange staining the grey skies. The remaining grey felt like a reminder, a familiar lurch at his heart.

Gold streaks of light shot through the sky, flooding the sky with a vibrant color. He inhaled sharply as the warm light touched his skin, exhaling sharply.

_A new dawn, a new day._

Turning on his heel, feeling the sun warm his back, he padded towards his bathroom. He had to go, he had a long day ahead of him.

 

…

 

_Oikawa Toru could never think that he’d become so used to defeat. Despite giving his all, pouring his everything to play his best, it just wasn’t enough._

_The taste of defeat lingered in his mouth, a bad aftertaste of the years’ worth of the truth he tried so hard to ignore. But heck, it’s not like he can avoid it either. He knew, he always knew that no matter how hard he tries, no matter how many hours he’s poured, how many times he’s fallen, or his hands got chaffed and scarred – it’ll just never be enough._

_He was no match for someone who did everything so seamlessly._

_He stared disdainfully at the younger teen, all his emotions dropped cold at the mere sight of him._

_“Now we’re at one loss, one win. Don’t get on your high horse.”_

_“I won’t.” When all was said, Oikawa turned on his heel. Just before he let him walk away, Tobio called out. “Oikawa-san, please stay away from Arisa-nee-san.” At the sound of her name, he paused mid-step, the seriousness in the younger teen’s voice coming as a surprise. “Please stop hurting her.”_

_That was the first time Tobio ever confronted him about Arisa. Usually, she kept everything at arm’s length, always shielding him from the ugly side of their relationship or never even saying a word about it in the first place._

_So, hearing his declaration, his warning, and his plea was something. Of course, Arisa meant the world to him. To Arisa, Tobio meant everything to her as well. It was one of the reasons he detested the younger teen._

_Oikawa let Tobio’s words sink before walking off towards his team._

 

…

 

Seven years have passed, he was now 25-years old and a member of the National Team. It was his dream, something he thought that had slipped from his fingers all those years ago, but here he was now.

He worked really hard to get to where he was now – literally shedding blood, sweat, and tears.

Regrettably, he was in the same team with Ushiwaka – someone he detested so much since his younger years. Somehow the two somehow came to terms with each other (Oikawa, most especially) so long as they were in court.

Through the years, Oikawa somehow managed to get through – he’s had his ups and downs, several girlfriends, and his friends. The journey wasn’t easy, but it had been worth it.

And then a flash of familiar blue eyes catches him off guard.

Shaking himself off his reverie, he realized that he had been staring at the wrong shade of blue belonging to Kageyama Tobio, who was being drafted for the National Team, Hinata Shouyou in tow.

He didn’t particularly care that he was joining, neither did he bother, but neither did it come as a surprise to see him here. Kageyama (and Shrimpy) could be on the team for all he cared, he was fresh out of tolerance of his hate for the younger lad.

During training lately, the younger lad has been sending him sharp stares, like he knew something. His stares were making him uncomfortable, to be honest, it gave him chills whenever they were in the same room.

He thought back to him warning him to lay off his older cousin, not knowing that the kiss they shared later that day – the saddest kiss of his life – was the last of them. Since then, she disappeared from his life, taking his heart with him, like she always did.

After everything that had happened, he never saw or heard from Arisa. The last thing he heard was that she got accepted to an Art School in New York, with the help of her godfather. Other than that? Nothing.

That day, during both volleyball team’s farewell party, he had steeled himself to stay away from Arisa, not only because he was respecting her wishes, but because this time, he wanted to let her go.

Funny thing, though? He never could.

 

…

 

Today was a beautiful day: the sun was shining brightly on this wonderful fall morning, the birds were singing, the air was blessedly cool, their surroundings were a warm tone. It really was a good day. Too perfect of a day.

Oikawa never thought he'd be this in love with the being before him - round olive eyes, chubby cheeks, a tuft of brown hair. Her big beautiful eyes blinked at him, a grin spreading across her face – making his heart swell with love. She looked adorable in her tiny dress, something he had bought specifically for her. How can such a beautiful being exist? How can this being bring him so much love and joy?

Bringing the infant close, he nuzzled his nose to her brown hair – smelling faintly of milk and honey – causing her to laugh. Just hearing her laugh sent another swelling in his heart, he couldn’t help but laugh with her, pressing his lips to her chubby cheeks.

The child was his pride and joy, only she wasn't his.

"Oi, give me back my daughter, Oikawa." A voice called, belonging to his oldest friend – Iwaizumi Hajime. His best friend was dressed sharply – wearing a button-up, a vest, a tie, some slacks, and shoes, all of which Oikawa helped picked – his spiky hair combed neatly.

"Iwa-chan, how can you make something so beautiful?" Wept the brunette, holding the infant at arm's length - who laughed and reached out her stubby arms at her godfather.

Iwaizumi rolled his eyes at that. "Just give me back my daughter, Shittykawa!"

"It's been years and you still call me by that nickname? I'm hurt!" Turning to his goddaughter, he brought her close so their noses were touching. "Ko-chan, your daddy's such a bully, isn't he?" The infant replied with a garbled laugh, much to the delight of the brunet.

Koharu looked every bit like her mother, bearing wide doe eyes, her nose, and lips, except for her hair – which was dark and slightly messy, and her eyes were russet, like her father’s.

Soon, they were joined by her other uncles, who had her twin - Shigeru, who sported a matching outfit with his twin. The young boy’s eyes brightened at the sight of his father and twin.

Taking his daughter from his friend, Iwaizumi was quick to plant a kiss to her chubby cheeks, smiling when she began talking to him in garbles.

"Where's Segumi?" he asked the two, securing the child in his arms.

"With her bridesmaids." Replied Hanamaki, carrying one of the twins on his shoulders.

The little boy pulled at Hanamaki’s hair, taking a fistful of his light-hair, a small frown marring his adorable face with eyes focused on the task. His godfather didn’t seem to mind.

It seemed the twin genetics ran in the family – Segumi’s family, rather.

While Koharu was her mother’s carbon copy, Shigeru was Iwaizumi’s, save for the wavy brown hair and light green eyes of his mother’s.

Walking up to the taller man, who carefully hands him the baby boy, Iwaizumi quickly plants a kiss on his son’s cheeks, who laughs and babbles with his twin afterward. With both his children in his arms, Iwaizumi was then ushered by the photographer and photos were taken.

Oikawa, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa watched from the sides, watching almost adoringly. It had been two years since the twins came into their lives, but Iwaizumi seemed like a natural. Fatherhood suited him well.

After a few pictures, Iwaizumi walks back to his friends, still securing his twins in his arms – Koharu was looking around curiously, while Shigeru eyed their godfathers.

Chuckling at the child’s curious eyes, Matsukawa opened his arms out to him. Shigeru willingly let himself be lifted from his father’s arms.

"Aww, it seems like yesterday when you asked Hanamaki who Tanaka was," Matsukawa says to him, securing the baby in his arms. Oikawa walked up to him, ruffling his godson’s hair playfully. The little boy’s nose wrinkled in annoyance, reminding him very much of his father when they were younger.

"And you rejected her." Hanamaki flatly laid out, a bit angrily with just a twinge of overprotectiveness.

"I did not! I froze is all!" Iwaizumi was quick to defend himself, red in the face.

"But your silence was still a rejection," Matsukawa says, Oikawa beginning to play with Shigeru’s stubby fingers.

"Gumi-chan cried that day."

"I returned her feelings!"

"Yeah,” Hanamaki nodded, a bit sarcastically. “a year later and she returned the favor!"

“Hey now, don’t fight in front of the kids,” Matsukawa tells the two, his tone especially directed to Hanamaki. The light-haired man smiled cheekily, showing that he was simply playing around.

“Still,” tucking his hands into his pockets, Hanamaki’s shoulders rose and fell. “it does feel like yesterday when you asked me who Gumi-chan is. And you guys know how protective I am of Gumi-chan.” The three nodded in unison, something that made the twins laugh. Just hearing their laugh made their heart skip, they were such precious things.

Hanamaki’s eyes turned to Koharu in Iwaizumi’s arms, eyes softening at how much she looked like her mother. “Anyways,” the light-haired man says with a sigh. “just wanted to let you know that Gumi-chan is being well taken care of.”

At that, the spiky-haired man sighs gratefully. “So, how long did it take?”

“Five minutes,” Matsukawa says with a laugh, unafraid to hide it. “I’m sorry, it’s just kinda cute and funny at the same time. Contact lens, I mean.”

When he’s had enough of Shigeru, Oikawa walks up to Iwaizumi and begins playing with Koharu, the little girl erupted into fits of giggles at the sight of her godfather.

Hanamaki joins in the laughter with Matsukawa, leaning against the taller lad.

“You’re not a very good role model,” Iwaizumi bluntly tells Matsukawa. To which, Matsukawa replies with a shrug.

“Eh,” he scratches at his scruff, taking no offense in his words. “never claimed to be one.”

Narrowing his eyes, Iwaizumi then rolled his eyes while saying. “Remind me to keep you away from the twins when they get older,” he adjusted his hold on Koharu, who was still being played with by Oikawa. “don’t want them to be learning the wrong things.”

Matsukawa’s thick brows knit together. “Hey, I take offense to that.”

“You’re a bad influence already, both of you.” He pointed at the two, who unabashedly exchanged smirks. “Gotta steer them clear of what’s right and what’s wrong.”

“Excuse you, but we’re the fun duo. You and Oikawa would die of boredom without us.” Hanamaki says, pointing with a finger gun.

“Still gotta keep my kids away from harm, gotta put them on the right path.”

"That's rich, coming from a guy who knocked up my childhood friend before marrying her." Hanamaki sneers with a raised brow, making sure to put a little twist in his words, seeing how the former ace flinched. Beside him, Matsukawa howls in laughter. Oikawa straightens at that, breaking into fits of laughter as well. "You had to wait a year, A YEAR!"

Red as a tomato, Iwaizumi yells. "S-Shut up!"

"Yeah Makki, don't blame him!” Oikawa, who had been busy playing with his godchildren, came to his childhood friend’s defense. “It's not his fault he wanted to give Segumi-chan the best wedding!" But what he said only doubled the redness on his friend’s face.

"Shittykawa, shut the fuck up!"

"Hey, not in front of the kids," Matsukawa says, he and Hanamaki were quick to cover Shigeru’s ears who was laughing at his father's angry expression.

Oikawa gasped at that, alarmed. “Oh no, Shi-chan’s showing signs of becoming Iwaizumi!”

“Of course, I’m his dad!”

“Shi-chan, no!” Hanamaki cried.

“Ah, like father, like son,” Matsukawa noted.

Koharu looked at her uncles in confusion before laughing with her twin.

 

…

 

It was the middle of the afternoon when the ceremony started, in time for the sun’s golden glow to wash down. Really, it was too perfect of a day, especially for a wedding.

Everyone looked positively gorgeous in their best dress, suits, and kimonos (all of which, were in pastel, per wedding theme), especially when they wear their smiles as the ceremony started.

Oikawa lazily worked up his trademark smile as he walked the aisle together with one of Segumi's cousins. The poor girl was blushing like crazy as they walked, it was almost cute. It was nice to know that he still got it, even in his twenties.

Letting go at the aisle, he walks up beside Iwaizumi, who was fumbling in place.

 “Iwa-chan, stop worrying too much, it’s your wedding day!” Oikawa whispered.

“S-Shut it, Oikawa!” the groom whispered angrily, his voice a bit raspy.

“Hajime, calm down.” Matsukawa whispered as he walked up beside Oikawa. Iwaizumi shifted foot to foot, unsure where to put his hands.

“You better not walk out on my Gumi-chan!” Hanamaki threatened, standing next to Matsukawa, sending a glare to the groom.

Just as Iwaizumi was to retort, telling the three off, he laughed. At first, it was a nervous laugh, and then it was a genuine, hearty laugh. Soon, the three followed.

Of all people he got for his groomsmen, it had to be  _these_  three.

“But really, congratulations man,” Matsukawa says with a two-fingered salute.

“Yeah, what he said.” Hanamaki seconds, hands in his pocket. “But make Gumi-chan cry again, and I swear I’ll kick your ass.”

They laugh amongst themselves, making it feel like they were in high school again.

“I’m happy for you, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa says truthfully, meaning every word.

Iwaizumi swallows thickly. Just as he was about to say something, the band starts playing.

All eyes turned as the doors opened revealing the father, standing proud next to his daughter, the brunette bride – she looked beautiful in white, her hair was elegantly tied, decorated with flowers, a thin veil over her head, a bouquet of flowers in hand as she slowly walked down the aisle – she was beaming, she was glowing.

The moment Segumi appeared, there was a communal intake of breath, but for the groom, his eyes widened – as if seeing her for the first time. He was taking her in, the sight of her slowly heading up towards him, looking so beautiful. Tears pooled the man’s eyes, a loving expression quickly spread across his face not soon later – the most earnest expression he’s seen from him.

Oikawa sighed deeply, really, his best friend deserved this. Segumi Tanaka (soon to be Mrs. Iwaizumi) was the perfect match for him. He was a good man, always has been. A better man than he’ll ever dream to be.

 

…

 

After the ceremony, the crowd proceeded to the reception hall where the program was soon to begin. The smiles on everyone’s faces were twice as wide from the wedding ceremony, especially from the newlyweds.

At this point, it was honestly exhausting to smile, especially when he felt sour inside. However, he didn’t want to ruin the happiest day of his best friend’s life, didn’t want to dampen the mood just because he was jealous of Iwa-chan’s road to eternal happiness. Yes, at some point, even fake smiling gets exhausting.

Sitting on his designated seat, next to the groom, Oikawa was racking up on his speech when something caught his eye. He had to do a double take, almost unsure with what he saw.

"And there she is," Matsukawa says.

In perfect unison, his fellow groomsmen turned to a dark-haired woman, who was all smiles with the bride and groom. She is almost without a camera slung over her shoulder – a newer brand, Oikawa noticed.

Hanamaki whistled at the sight of her. "Still such a babe."

"The years have been good to her." Matsukawa seconds, scratching at his stubble.

Oikawa couldn't take his eyes away from her, seeing how ethereal she looked in pastel. And _indeed_ , the years have been good to her. She still as beautiful as before, her features have matured. Her hair was a little shorter now, but still, she sported that beautiful infamous killer smile.

He felt that annoying feeling again like he was eight when curiosity got to him, to when he was fourteen when he finally got her name, to when he was eighteen when he fell in love.

Over the years, it was still Arisa.

Over the years, he’s tried to forget her by dating with different women (one time, a man), but none of them just felt right, nothing compared to when he was with Arisa, however, short their relationship had been.

Unknowingly, he had sought out people with similar qualities to Arisa, those who had blue eyes – but never the same grey-blue like hers.

Relationships that almost were the worst, where he thought that they were almost perfect, almost there, but just not quite. Hence, the almost. It just never worked out because it was almost there, but just not fucking quite. 

No, but the worst part was when he was sleeping with this woman and he accidentally called out her name. It didn’t hurt when she had slapped him across the face, it hurt when he realized that he had been fooling himself – who was he kidding? Nobody could ever compare to the one girl who stole his heart when he was eight.

Seven years - A nephew. A degree. His mother’s death. A back-to-back win at the ASEAN Games. Four visits to the doctor. One offseason. Several bottles of beer (with Iwa-chan, Mattsun, Makki, and Gumi-chan telling him off). Countless hook-ups - And still, he gravitates back to her.

The heart wants what it wants, huh?

You never forget your first love, right?

Oikawa was shaken off his thoughts when Mr. and Mrs. Iwaizumi sat down beside him, starting the program immediately. So, for a solid 30-minutes or so, he pushed Arisa away from his thoughts, gave a hilarious and heartfelt speech, leading the toast, and then handed over the reins to the host.

According to Naoki, who was the assistant wedding planner, Arisa couldn’t pass up the opportunity to cover their wedding, regretting to have missed doing their prenup shoot. Plus, her services were free of charge.

When the dance floor opened, Oikawa situated himself in a corner, in high hopes that it was a message that he wasn’t going to dance. He wasn’t in the mood for it.

Hanamaki was off tending to one of the twins, while Matsukawa had gone for a smoke.

While the party unfolded, Oikawa settled himself in the dark while he let the wine ingest his body. Apparently, Aiko’s wine influence rubbed off him.

One glass later. Matsukawa returned, taking a glass of wine before flirting with Naoki. Hanamaki was charming the pants off Segumi’s cousin (the one Oikawa walked the aisle with earlier), the two clearly hitting it off immediately. Meanwhile, the twins were with their grandparents.

Half a glass later, Mr. and Mrs. Iwaizumi were dancing on the dance floor, a soft ballad playing through the speakers. Swallowing his drink, he tasted the bitter, burning sensation of jealousy he again had for his best friend.

Now that he thinks about it, it’s funny how  _he_ was the popular one back in high school, but it was his best friend who got his happy ending first. Putting his elbows on his knees, he rubbed at his neck and laughed sadly.  _Huh, I guess not all nice guys finish last. It’s assholes like me are destined for delay in happiness._

“Shittykawa, what’re you doing?” a familiar voice called, in all the years that he’s known him, Oikawa didn’t have to look up or guess the worried look on his best friend’s face.

“What does it look like?” he replied back, sitting up to slump against his seat, meeting his best friend’s eyes, who had his arms crossed against his chest. “I’m enjoying my drink on your wedding day.”

“Funny, I thought you’d be charming the pants off everyone and flaunt your title as the national team’s setter. Instead, here you are looking like your shitty self.” Oikawa half-smiled at that, yep, they knew each other too well.

“What do you want from me, Iwa-chan?” Oikawa asked in surrender.

Sighing again, he had half the heart to whack him in the head – like he always did, Iwaizumi’s eyes softened instead. “I just want to make sure that you’re okay.”

“Because it’s your wedding day?”

“That, and because you can be a bit too whiny when you’re drunk, and because frowning makes you look like an old man.” They share a small laugh, the brunette running a hand through his hair. When the laughter died down, the groom’s posture relaxed. “Segumi’s noticed too, you know.”

At the mention of his wife, Oikawa’s eyes quickly search the brunette, who was talking to her best friend, looking like they were having a similar conversation. “So, what do you want me to do?”

With the corner of his lips curling, his best friend simply says, “Talk.”

Without warning, Iwaizumi practically drags his best friend out of his seat and towards where Arisa and Segumi were talking. Arisa’s back was to him, so she hadn’t realized their approach before Segumi looked up with a smile. Turning, the look of shock and confusion mirrored on his face.

“There they are!” gushes Segumi, walking around the cocktail table to meet her husband. He planted a quick kiss on her temple before gesturing at the two, his hands sliding around her waist. Oikawa and Arisa too shocked to say anything in turn. Mr. and Mrs. Iwaizumi smiled simply at the two. “You two have fun now, okay?”

Just as they left, Segumi sneaked another look back at them and mouthed, ‘good luck’. To whom, they didn’t know.

He’s quiet. She’s quiet. They’re both quiet. And for a long time, nobody spoke. It was just his breathing, his heartbeat, and the sound of the party going on behind them.

Still in shock, both adults shifted on their spot, still refusing to acknowledge each other or unsure. While the reception was in full bloom, silence filled in between them – which felt like the loudest in the room.

Even though they wanted nothing more but to walk away, they couldn’t deny the bride’s wishes. But this was just awkward, too awkward.

Putting his arm on the cocktail table, Oikawa noticed her camera sitting next to the flower ball centerpiece – and were those daffodils? How fitting.

A throat clearing caught his attention before a slender hand gently placed her flute glass on the table. He traced its slender fingers up towards its slender arm before meeting grey-blue eyes, feeling a resurgence in his heart.

“Hey,” she starts, almost carefully, like she was testing the waters.

She was looking at him, but not quite. Oh, those heartbreakingly beautiful grey-blue eyes. His heart hammered against his chest, he clenched his hands in fear she’d see him, shake.

Finally founding his voice, he greets in return. “Hi,” he says almost breathlessly.

She didn’t look a day over 18, since the last, he saw her. But her hair was shorter, shoulder length and curled, she wore more makeup now but still kept it at minimal, she was thinner, slender, her piercings were still in place – she was older now, but still the same beautiful woman he knew.

His eyes then fell to her collarbone, a small ring hanging by the chain. The chain and the ring were gold, thin – simple yet dainty. The ring had a single diamond on it, shining brightly like a star under the dim light.

"Married?" he couldn’t help but ask, feeling his heart quicken.

Realizing he had asked, Arisa’s hands immediately flew to her necklace, fingers lightly touching the ring. "No, not yet."

"Why not?"

Lightly tapping her ring, her hand dropped to her side as she took a sip of her drink, biting her lower lip, a reply ready to be said but instead she laughed. He frowned at that.

“Let’s just say, he and I have a lot of patching up to do first.” She cocked her head a little to his side, grey-blue eyes sparkling. Twiddling with her fingers, very slowly she says. “It’s a favor I owe him.”

Seeing her lips quirk into a soft smile, Oikawa slowly returned her smile, shaking his head in disbelief.

And just like that, all form of awkwardness, the tension between them, disappeared.

Silence filled between the two, nothing uncomfortable of any sort. If anything, else, the silence that filled brought about familiarity and comfort. They stood beside each other, watching the party unfold, both not saying a word, neither did they gesture to leave.

Oikawa swirled on his drink, watching the bubbles rise around.

"I see you've made the national team." He hears her say, turning his head back to her.

"Yeah," he sighed, shoulders sagging.

"You don't sound happy."

"Oh, I am.” He replies coolly. “I just hate that I have to be in a team with damned Ushiwaka." He said sourly, making sure to emphasize his disgust with Ushijima’s name.

Something lodged in her throat, sounding like a scoff before her grey-blue eyes rolled heavenwards. "Hm."

Something lodged in her throat, sounding like a scoff, before her grey-blue eyes rolled heavenwards. "Hm."

"By the way, your cousin is being drafted into the team."

As if by magic, at the mention of her cousin, Arisa quickly turned to him. "Oh, really?"

"Really. Him and Shrimpy."

“Really?” her voice rose, eyes sparkling. He nodded. "Wow,” she said, almost to herself. “that's incredible!"

He glanced at her, an eyebrow raised. "I'm surprised you don't know."

Swallowing down her drink, she rubbed her neck sheepishly. "It's hard to keep in touch with different time zones really. And when we do talk, it’s once every week." She sighed, scratching her nose. “I hardly get to hear how he’s doing.”

 _Yep, definitely the same old Arisa._  He thought to himself, watching her under the dim light.

“So long as I hear he’s doing great, then that’s all that matters. He’s a big boy now.”

“ _Your_  big boy,” Oikawa couldn’t help but say, earning a punch in the shoulder from her. He rubbed at it as they shared a laugh, she sure packed a punch.

“By the way, the Olympics is next year, right?” she asked, elbows resting on the table. “How are the preparations for the Olympics?”

“Tedious,” Oikawa replied, swallowing down his drink. “per the usual.” Remembering something, he was quick to ask. “Your godfather’s a freelance photographer, right?”

“Yeah, he is. But he mostly works with  _Number_.” Oikawa nodded at the name,  _Number_  was the leading sports magazine in the country. “And with the Olympics coming up, he’s been especially busy. Jigou-jii-san actually’s going to represent the magazine.” With a pause, she took a small sip of her drink, chewing on her bottom lip before adding. “And I’m tagging along.”

Oikawa quickly turned to her, Arisa worried he might’ve gotten a whiplash, his eyes wide as saucers. “What?”

“Yeah.” She nodded, cheeks flushing. “I just got accepted as a junior photographer  _and_ writer.”

Blinking once, twice, a grin slithered its way through his face, reaching his eyes. “Wow, congrats to you.” He lifted his glass to her, its contents almost empty. He was happy for her,  _really_ happy for her.

Smiling gratefully – smiling that killer smile of hers, that never faded through the years – she tapped her glass to his.

“Thanks.”

“This calls for a celebration,” Holding out his index finger, promptly telling her to give him a minute, Oikawa discreetly heads for the buffet table and grabs one of the champagne. When he returns to Arisa, she was fighting off a laugh, but failed.

Through a few glasses of champagne, he found out that Arisa played a little volleyball in college. The sport was inescapable. She didn’t join any team but participated in games. As much as she held so much promise to work in the American sports journalism, she chose to come back home to Japan. And just in time for the Olympics! Prior to that, Arisa’s been working freelance. In return, he shared his own stories – the good, the ugly, and the horrible.

Barely half of the champagne was left before they knew it, their cheeks were flushed – probably from the alcohol or from smiling too much. Regardless, the two never looked so alive.

Working up the nerve, Oikawa stood a bit straighter and cleared his throat, catching Arisa’s attention. “If it’s not asking too much,” Oikawa offered a hand to Arisa. “can I invite you to the dance floor?”

Smiling, she set her glass down and took his invitation.

(Hanamaki discreetly ‘borrowed’ her camera and started taking photos of the two dancing.)

Her hands were as soft as ever, Oikawa noticed as they walked towards the dance floor.

In her heels, they were almost at eye level, their eyes meeting. With their hands at shoulder level, he put a hand on her hip and brought her close. He swore he heard her breath hitch, feeling the warmth of his hands on hers, his hands on her smooth skin.

They start out slowly, every so carefully, Oikawa leading. He moved smoothly, carefully threading through like water. Together, they drifted along with the guests, but with the way, Oikawa was moving made it seem so effortless. She rose a brow at him, noting how well he danced. The brunette shrugged, in turn, the dark-haired woman shook her head at him.

Grey-blue eyes find brown eyes, losing into the depths of his being. Taking her hand from his, she tentatively wrapped them around his neck, letting them stay there, while his wrapped themselves around her waist, drawing her close.

The first song finished, but the two remained dancing, lost in each other’s eyes. The bands start to play another song, another slow ballad.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he began to hum.

And not just any song, but  _that_  song. The song from all those years ago.

Her heart quickened its pace, her breath stuck in her throat, as he hummed, keeping her close to him. So many memories flooded through – the good, the bad, the heartbreak, the pain – yes, there was a lot. His eyelids lowered, she watched his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed – watched him remember everything that had happened between them.

Fingers traced the back of his neck before idly playing with the back of his hair, she heard him inhale, eyes closing. And when he opened them again, Arisa was rendered wordless by how much emotion he held for her.

She remembered the boyishly handsome boy.

He remembered the girl with beguiling eyes.

She remembered his childish rage and insecurities.

He remembered her pain and fear.

She remembered crying.

He remembered feeling like he was dying.

She remembered leaving.

He remembered the hollow of his heart.

They remembered falling in love.

Unconsciously, unknowingly, they were leaning into each other, watching each other closely, not wanting to miss a single thing.

It felt like they were the only people hearing the song, the only ones who knew what the song was all about.

They remembered what it was like all those years ago, listening to the same song, feeling an impactful explosion that followed.

All it took was just one look, and it was as if all those years of heartaches and pain never happened – they could see it in each other’s eyes, everything that is everything - one look and they were smiling like idiots, smiles that spread across their faces, almost as if it was meant to be a secret code and they were caught – pressing their foreheads together as they continued to dance.

Everyone disappeared around them, their surroundings became a blur and people turned into stars.

 

…

 

The two newlyweds watched as their best friends danced on the dance floor, looking like two lost souls who found each other after a millennia’s worth of waiting. Iwaizumi wrapped his arms around his wife, resting his chin on her shoulder, pulling her body close as he hugged her from behind. He felt her relax in his embrace.

“Do you think they’ll be alright?” Segumi asked worriedly, studying the expressions on both of their faces.

His eyes were reading their expressions as well, his hold tightened. “They will.”

“How do you know that?” she asked softly, looking over her shoulder.

He met her gaze – her doe-eyes much bigger without her glasses, filled with worry, it was adorable. But he couldn’t tell her that, instead, he thought back to everything that he long predicted. It may be because he’s known them the longest, has kept an eye on the two when they were in a relationship, maintained a friendship even after their breakup, but it was a gut feeling. He just knew.

“Trust me,” he tells her, pressing his lips to her cheek. “They will, Segumi. They will.”

 

…

 

_Fourteen months into her new environment – adjusting to a new country, a new lifestyle, a new and heavy study load, making new friends, keeping track of her old ones, balancing school, work, and breathing - when Arisa received a package._

_And it was a huge package._

_Her family sent her goodies from home, ensuring that she felt less homesick. Some cooking essentials, courtesy of her mother. Some books courtesy of her father. Herbal treats care of her grandfather. And then there were some beauty regimens, courtesy of her best friend. Tobio just managed to sneak in a few gifts – trinkets from places he’s visited._

_Arisa smiled at these gifts, feeling a bit more settled and loved with these gifts. Setting the package away, she was just about to put away the box when she noticed something was attached to the package, something smaller._

_Putting her hand under the box, feeling the package, she gently plucked it. The smaller package was dated to be sent just two days after the large one._

_Setting the large package aside, she studied the smaller package._

_It was a letter – handwritten, addressed to her, and ten pages long._

_Instantly, she recognized the unmistakable polished penmanship. The paper was crumpled as if it had gone through so much when it was written. Despite the clean penmanship, she noted some parts that had been crossed out – of unfinished words that weren’t meant to be said, or fussed words that made no sense - ever the perfectionist that he was._

_And it smelled faintly of sweat, beer, wine, and cologne._

_She spent the remaining hours of the day pouring over the letter, blissfully unaware of the world changing around her._

_She hung onto every word, felt the emotions with every paragraph, and slowly felt her heart fill every time she turned to the next page._

_When finally, she was finished reading, she brought the letters to her chest, her heart bursting into the seams. Outside, the sun was long gone, and the moon was high up in the sky, washing its silvery light on the sleeping city._

_Tears streaming down her face, her lips pursed before lifting into that of a small smile. There was just too many emotions for her heart to handle, too much to take all at once._

_Chuckling to herself, she hastily wiped her tears, but they just kept coming. Eventually, she broke down, quietly. She poured over the letter a few more times, feeling her heart feeling all sorts of things._

_Unable to take the silence, she reached for her music box on her bedside table. Fingers ran through the fine woodwork, from all the years she’s kept it safe. Opening it, she was greeted by the familiar song all those years ago. Her eyes fell shut – she could still smell the coffee, could still feel the silky tablecloth, could almost feel him sitting across her as she sang. Her memories were soon accompanied by the words from his letter, finding it so fitting. A lighthearted laugh escaped her lips, tears starting anew._

_When she opened her eyes, finding herself staring at the envelope on her bedside table, next to her graduation photo, she noticed a stump. Putting the letter and the music box aside, forgetting to close the box, she leaned over and reached for it, tipping it over allowing the item to fall into her hand._

_Her breath hitched at the sight of it, the small round item sitting in her palm -  it was a ring._

_And not just any ring, it was a promise ring._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, let me explain: although I am not a believer of second chances, I am of that unexpected third time. I'm honestly a sucker for character growth after an experience when they were young. I loved every moment writing this story because I'm honestly a sucker for breakup stories/angst (which is more or less, my specialty).
> 
> Someone in the comments said Arisa should've married Ushijima. I'm sorry, I'm not letting that happen. Having Arisa marry Ushijima would go against everything she's fought and built for herself – her freedom and identity as the first female firstborn of her family.
> 
> Of all the OCs I've written, Arisa is probably one of the most emotional characters I've ever written. I don't know how or why it turned out that way, but she just seemed like a fit to someone as insecure as Oikawa. I also never realized that as of building her character, I was fitting her to be a stereotypical Taurus.
> 
> Also, the reason why I went for Oikawa is that he's just so real of a character and a real pleasure to write with having so many angles to work with (also, his seiyuu is Daisuke Namikawa and I love him so). If I'm being/sounding defensive of these two, then yes, I am.
> 
> Maybe what made it so emotionally scarring (sorry for the term, I'm just throwing it in) was because it's Oikawa, and that he's very very VERY human. I haven't read many fics with Oikawa, but as far as I can see, many depict him to be this manwhore, very far from the character we all know and love, or they write off too much from this and forget his other flaws, which is why I decided to forego with this fic. In the beginning of the story, they're both young kids with shitty life decisions that made them grow into fine adults in the end.
> 
> Maybe what also made this very personal to me was the fact that some of the story's elements were based on real-life stories of my friends' and big sister's who went through relationship problems, heartbreaks, coping, and some of mine (even though we never got together because of his insecurities); the fact that Arisa's personality was heavily based off my guy best friend and a bit of mine; and the fact of how much I just love Haikyuu!
> 
> I honestly never expected this story to reach 10 chapters, I was really planning on just 5, but then, as I wrote, the plot thickened and I didn't want to let go just yet. And if you've been following me on Tumblr, you'll know that I work in a Japanese company, so I more or less am more familiar with Japanese culture. Also, I intentionally jumpstarted to seven years ago, a year before the 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Tokyo. I was a Communication student. What I'm trying to say is, again, this was a lot of research to make the story real and true to its roots. And wow, I finished this fic exactly the year I started it. (Which was yesterday, by the way, But it took longer to post on because I was having trouble uploading the file. I've encountered the infamous Error Type 1 :T)
> 
> So, to all of you, thank you so much for reading my story and for giving it a chance. I'm not sorry for the roller coaster of emotions I've made you go through, but I am sorry that your journey has to end now.
> 
> It's been a hella crazy year 2017 and you guys made this story worthwhile. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the deepest part of my nonexistent heart.
> 
> From the bottom of my heart: Thank you all for reading this story from start to finish. I'm not sorry for ever making you laugh, angry, or cry, I am sorry that this story has to end like all stories do.
> 
> However, I have a bit of good news: Iwaizumi and Segumi will have a side-story. It's currently in the works and titled, 'What Were the Chances' Stay tuned!
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading and I hope to see you in my next works!


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